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By Ray Hickson

It’s six and a half hours from Scone to Grafton so there’s no doubt trainer Lou Mary is serious about giving talented mare Proverbial her chance to secure a place in the Grafton carnival’s feature sprint.

Lou Mary (Pic: Bradley Photos)

And a win in the $30,000 Clocktower Hotel John Carlton Cup (1190m) at Grafton on Sunday would put the five-year-old into the field for the Listed $200,000 Ramornie Handicap and a step closer to a Kosciuszko berth.

Mary has been keen to find a stakes race for Proverbial since her impressive Highway win at Rosehill a month ago, from which both the second and third horse have since won, and settled on the Ramornie as a good chance – if she can get in.

“I’ve never been up that way, there are some good trainers with horses up there and I guess everyone has the same intention to get into the Ramornie so she will have to be on her A game to get there,’’ Mary said.

“I called the handicappers for the Healy Stakes (in Brisbane) and they told me it was going to be a bit hard for her to get in.

“I thought if I put all my eggs in the one basket and try to go up there and miss the boat and not make the field it would mess up the preparation.

“We want to try to slide her into a stakes race so we think that’s the best option.”

The John Carlton Cup winner is exempt from ballot into the Ramornie so the equation for Mary and Proverbial, $3.40 favourite with TAB on Saturday, is simple.

Inaugural Kosciuszko winner Belflyer finished runner-up in the 2018 Ramornie before taking out the Everest Day country feature, now worth $2 million.

“If she can run top three or four in the Ramornie it’s great exposure for the Kosciuszko coming up,’’ Mary said.

“We have a young stable, only 16 horses in work, and if you want to get noticed that you have a horse you believe is good enough to go for these races the Grafton carnival is great exposure.”

Mary likes to keep Proverbial on the fresh side so the gap between runs is ideal, though if she does win and earn her shot at a stakes race he’s already prepared for that.

“She’s been very well in herself, she has a beautiful coat, and she’s ready to go back to the races,’’ he said.

“She is fairly fit and is a mare that races well fresh so if she was to win on Sunday she wouldn’t have to do much before the Ramornie.”

The one variable Mary isn’t certain about on Sunday is how the John Carlton Cup will be run.

But he’s prepared to side with the knowledge that Proverbial has shown him she doesn’t need to be ridden any particular way to win.

Proverbial wins at Rosehill on June 3

“There doesn’t look like much speed in the race so I’m not sure where we will end up in the run,’’ he said.

“She has enough speed that she can put herself in a position in the race, she’s quite adaptable anyway.

“The great thing about her is she’s just a trier. She’s quite versatile and she can run some slick sectionals.

“I think she has all the attributes for a country trainer like I am to have a crack at this type of race.”

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