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By Tony Megahey

Leading young regional trainer Clint Lundholm is confident success and racing knowledge continue to flourish in the family as he builds on a combination with rookie apprentice Ashleigh Stanley, 19, at Dubbo’s TAB meeting on Friday.

“She’s a natural and a lovely kid - her dad Peter is a terrific trainer, she’s apprenticed to him, and her brother Justin has ridden a stack of winners,” Clint enthused.

“Ashleigh’s only been riding since December but when they’re really capable and confident, that 4 kg claim is a big advantage anywhere. And she’s done a good job for me before.”

At the stables - Ashleigh Stanley with her father, Peter. Picture by Central Western Daily

With four winners so far, Ashleigh’s luxury claim has been utilised by trainers in four of the nine races at Dubbo.

She rides Lundholm’s performed veteran Any Blinkin’ Day in the feature, the Marty Nelson Refrigeration and Air Conditioning 1400m Handicap.

The six-race winner, allocated 58kg, is now “thrown in” on the limit: “Ashleigh rode him well when he finished a strong second to Joey’s Destiny here. So he’s back close to his best, really well in with the claim and is better out to 1400m from 1100m.

“He didn’t come up last prep but he’s always had a bit of quality about him.  It’s a strong race but on what he produced last start I like our chances.” Any Blinkin’ Day has won up to 1600m.

Lundholm also trains Joey’s Destiny, one of the best-performed sprinters on Country tracks and a Country Championships contender.

Ashleigh rides Lundholm’s maiden Poppy’s Freckle, one of his four stable representatives in the “Tunes on the Track” 1000m Maiden.  Ben Shoof, Dusky Damsel and Beechal all have ability according to Lundholm and could get into the money at value odds.

“Beechal has the exposed form and had no luck last start. But they’re all improvers that have shown me enough to run races. Poppy’s Freckle and Beechal though have inside draws.”

Clint fancies the chances of his outsider Bowie’s Boy if he gets a run as second emergency in the final event, the OSM Transportables Class I (1000m).

“We’re sweating on getting a run because he’s shown a lot more this prep than his form indicates. He’s drawn nice and he’s an each-way chance at big odds I reckon in a steady race. ”

And Ashleigh’s proud father Peter Stanley had the final say on his daughter’s burgeoning career: “The kid is well educated, she knows what she’s doing out there, she grew up with horses,” Peter enthused. “They travel for her, she’s always ridden work for me and learned like her brother. She’s ridden four winners in a short time and more to come, I reckon!”

View the final fields with full form & race replays for Dubbo here