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By Ray Hickson

When there’s a $150,000 race on your doorstep it’s worth having a shot so Taree trainer Karen Owen is hoping Sound And Vision can force his way into the Newhaven Park Mid North Coast Country Championships via Port Macquarie on Sunday.

The lightly raced five-year-old would likely be on the borderline of gaining a start but given the favourable conditions with a heavy track, Owen says he will get his chance to gain some valuable rating points.

As it stands, the John Oxley Volkswagon MNCRA Championship Preview (1200m) is a solid field with several potential Country Championships aspirants, the likes of Par Avion and Chase My Crown, so if Sound And Vision is in the finish the trainer knows they are in the game.

“We thought we might have a shot at it so he had three weeks in the paddock to freshen him up,’’ she said.

“He’s come back in good order, had a trial and if we’re lucky to get a run (at Taree) it’ll be great.

“We looked at last year’s and on his rating he would get in but there seems to be more depth this time. We can only try and see what happens.

Sound And Vision wins at Tuncurry on December 6

“To be competitive (at Taree) he’d have to have everything in his favour, a wet track would be good and 1400m would suit him.”

Sound And Vision has recorded two wins and two seconds from seven starts since Owen picked him up last autumn and he went for a short break, with the Championships in mind, after winning the Tuncurry Mile (1600m) on a heavy track two months ago.

He’s only raced once on a good track and given how he trialled recently, with Owen’s daughter Madeline instructed to keep him under a hold, on top of the ground it could be fair to say he’s a superior wet tracker.

“We wanted a quiet trial, it did look a little bit lacklustre but that’s the first time he’s ever trialled for us,’’ Owen said.

“We looked back he’d only trialled twice in his life and they’d never been flash.

“There’s nothing wrong with him but he does seem to go quite well on soft tracks so it should suit him on Sunday.”

So given conditions he likes, what is Owen expecting from Sound And Vision?

Come the final race barrier one may not be such a plus but at the short trip she wouldn’t expect him to be too handy in the early stages.

“I think he will run well. The 1200m is probably short of his best distance but being a heavy track it’ll probably be more like 1400m anyway,’’ she said.

“He should run well if he gets a bit of luck in running and doesn’t get caught on the fence. He’s fit enough, he’s kept his residual fitness with that three weeks off.”

If stablemate Dust’m gains a start as fourth emergency in the ATM2Hire Handicap (1200m) she’ll likely go around though Owen isn’t certain how well she will far on heavy ground.

The mare is yet to be placed in her four starts but the trainer believes she has some ability, it’s just a matter of bringing it out.

“She works a bit better than her form suggests,’’ she said.

“She had a few niggles last prep, this time in her first run was improved and at her last start she didn’t have any luck. So we’re hoping for an improved performance.”

All the fields, form and replays for Sunday’s Port Macquarie meeting