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By Graeme White

Mary Bray and Flying Impala – the only horse she has in training at Braidwood – are the feel-good story that epitomises all that is great about the Newhaven Park Country Championships South East to be held at Moruya on Sunday.

“It’s just me and him plus a few other young ones I have on my farm. He spends most of his time in a big grassy paddock and the night before he goes to Goulburn for track work which is about three times a week I bring him into the stable,” Bray said.

“I bought him as a young horse because I liked the look of him and he has turned out to be pretty good so far winning his past two starts.

Trainer Mary Bray (Pic: Bradley Photos)

“It’s fair to say he has got to the race fast in seven starts, but he has really come on winning his past two starts at Canberra and Hawksbury.

“I had it planned to run him in the Championships and when he was able to go so well at his past two starts it ensured he gained a start.”

Bray loves her hoses. At 65 years of age, she has been involved in the horse industry in one shape or another for many years, but for the past seven years has concentrated more on training some horses.

It’s not easy either as she navigates logistics to have Flying Impala right to race and more importantly emerge as he has in recent starts.

The gelding was a short priced favourite when he led all of the way to win at Canberra to break his maiden status then stepped up a level to dominate his rivals with race jockey Brandon Lerena aboard last start.

There is plenty of time to plan with Flying Impala and prepare the lightly raced galloper for his biggest test in the $150,000 race where the first two horses qualify for the $1 million dollar final.

Even the mention of a $1 million race is hard for Bray to fathom.

“I’m just delighted to have a runner in such a big race. It’s a strong field, but the horse keeps getting better and I expect him to be in front and giving the others plenty to chase,” she said.

The Flying Impala story is as interesting as it is about Bray.

“I have a big walking machine with rubber matting that he does his training on for slow days,” she said.

“I then load him up for faster work travelling for about two and a half hours for a round trip to Goulburn where I can get jockeys to ride him like Kate Petersen.

“It’s a long day, but it’s what I need to do to have him worked properly so all up from start to finish it’s about five hours to have him worked.

“He is in the paddock most of the time with plenty of feed and he is thriving at the moment.”

Lerena was aboard Flying Impala last start and before that Richard Bensley, who will partner Bon Frankie on Sunday, was in charge.

Bray loves her horses and gives them all of the time they need to flourish.

“I’m 65 now and if Fling Impala could win it would help my retirement and I would probably get a treadmill for him to work on,” she enthused.

“It’s just a big thrill to have a runner in the Country Championships.”

There are six last start winners with the South East race which is considered one of the strongest conducted across NSW.

Flying Impala will come in four barriers if the emergencies fail to gain a start which will assist the gelding take up his usual role.

While he will try and find control in front that is easier said than done.

Zouatica has led and dominated in recent starts and is coming off a recent break and a trial at Canberra heading into the biggest race of his career.

Race jockey Quayde Krogh has the top weight with 59 kilograms right in contention on what he has achieved to date.

“It’s his biggest test ad he is on to a firmer surface how the track is at the moment so it’s n unknown,” Krogh said,

“The trial the other day will have topped him off and he is such a strong horse who can lead and prove hard to get past.”

Favoured runner Bandi’s Boy will jump from close to the outside alley in the field of 14.

Trainer Danny Williams believes Bandi’s Boy has the right metropolitan form.

“He has been good all of the way through. He has metropolitan Saturday form,” he said.

“My other horse Atmospheric Rock is also racing well and has to be given a strong chance”.

Goulburn trainer Danielle Seib has two guaranteed staters in Sir Ming and Associate with Eight Of a Kind waiting as the first emergency.

“Hopefully Eight Of A Kind gains a start because I believe she will run a big race. The other two can also run well on how they have been going,” she said.

The first two will go through to the final with some of the others likely to push on to the Wild Card which will be held at Goulburn in March 24.

All the fields, form and replays for Sunday’s Country Championships meeting at Moruya