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By Greg Prichard

Female apprentice jockeys are in huge demand for the Manning Valley Race Club meeting at Taree on Saturday and Mollie Fitzgerald looks to be on one of the best winning chances all day in Run Rory Run.

The five-year-old gelding is trained by Fitzgerald’s master, Tony Ball, at Taree and must be one of the best heavy-track horses on the Mid North Coast.

He’ll be at the right place on his home track on Saturday because Taree was rated a Heavy 10 in the days leading up to the meeting.

Mollie Fitzgerald and Run Rory Run (Pic: Trackside)

Run Rory Run has had 22 career starts for four wins, two seconds and a third and all of those wins and placings have come from his nine starts on heavy tracks.

None of his nine starts on good tracks have yielded any success and even soft tracks, on which he has raced four times, haven’t brought out anything like the best in him.

He just loves the heavy going and with his wins having come at Port Macquarie (three times) and Coffs Harbour it is left to Run Rory Run to finally win on his home track.

His recent form suggests he will go very close to doing that when he contests the final event on the seven-race card, the Sky International Country Boosted Benchmark 58 Handicap over 1300 metres.

Run Rory Run’s most recent run at Taree was three starts back, when he fought hard before finishing a narrow second to Zanerdee’s Lane in a Country Benchmark 58 event over 1262 metres on April 28.

He has since contested races similar in grade to that for a win at Coffs Harbour and a second at Kempsey.

All three races were run on Heavy 10 tracks and Run Rory Run raced close to the lead each time.

He has drawn barrier one in a 14-horse field this time and he just needs to jump reasonably well and use his good early speed to be prominent again and then be up for the fight in the home straight.

Ball is very enthusiastic about Run Rory Run’s chances of winning.

“He’s running, for sure he’s running - it’s a heavy track and he loves it!” Ball said. “I don’t know why it’s only the heavy he likes, but that’s the way it is so that’s the way we go.

“He’s as happy as Larry in himself. If he doesn’t lead he’ll be right near the lead and he’s got to have a great shot at winning from there.”

Fitzgerald, who claims two kilograms, has five rides at Taree. Teighan Worsnop, who also claims two, and Leanne Boyd, who claims four, have six rides apiece.

Emily Farr (four-kilogram claim) has four rides and Siena Grima (three kilograms) has two.

*Gates open at 11.30am. First race 12.26pm. Admission $10 and $5 concession. Winning Post Function Centre open with the Turf Bistro. Full bar, TAB and bookmaker facilities. Visit facebook page www.facebook.com/ManningValleyRaceClub for more information.

All the fields, form and replays for Saturday's Taree meeting