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By Doug Ryan

Racegoers are blessed with Manning Valley Race Club's pre-Christmas meeting at Taree showcasing talented young jockeys not only in a heat of The Rising Stars, but also in summer's feature event over 1600m on Sunday.

The apprentice jockeys have been riding trebles and doubles at TAB meetings as they stamp their reputations to become top senior riders in the future.

Leading the charge in the Happy Birthday Tony Ball Class 2 Heat of the Rising Stars Handicap over 1250m is the events leading point scorer on eight, Taree's Georgina McDonnell, who only recently had three winning doubles in a week and has some good mounts.

She will ride her master Glen Milligan's mare Faatinaat where then there is "wonder" apprentice Bailey Wheeler who sits on five points and will be riding four-year-old gelding Klopp for Port Macquarie trainer John Sprague after grabbing his first winning treble at Kempsey's TAB meeting on Monday.

In overall wins so far for the season Newcastle's Dylan Gibbons is comfortably in the lead with 44 wins, Reece Jones being on 30, Taree's Madeline Owen on 23, McDonnell on 22 and the big mover being Wheeler on 11.

Milligan's four-year-old Faatinaat has won twice and the trainer reckons she has "all the ability in the world": "She played up last start at Tuncurry, was slow away by two lengths and then had no luck in running," he said.

Wheeler was snapped up by Sprague for Klopp which has been freshened for this race: "He had some quick runs for thirds after winning so I gave him time to revive with the owner keen on tackling Highway and Country Championships races," Sprague said. Both apprentices will be up against some keen rivals in what should be a great race.

The feature Hydrahose Summer Cup over 1600m for Benchmark 74 Handicap horses is a wide open affair where Taree's Bob Milligan's six-year-old mare Valley's Sister should be ready to show her best after a 1.62 lengths third in the Tuncurry Mile last week.

The horse is third up from a spell and again will be ridden by Grant Buckley who has been associated with Milligans "Horse of The Year" for 2020/21 Charmmebaby. Glen said the mare was also nominated for Tamworth but would stay at home where she has won and at the distance.

"It was a good run at Tuncurry and although she is up in grade she will be competitive. She bowed a tendon last prep and she has been raced sparingly ... she is a nervous type which sweats," Glen said.

Port's Tas Morton had Mister Smartee's plates off after the Armidale Cup and it was going for a spell but as it was bright as a button after being four and five wide at Tamworth last start the plates are back on for this race.

Six-year-old gelding Jexerlent did a tendon in August 2019, and its trainer 86-year-old Tony Green from Kempsey reckons the two times winner here over the distance will be very competitive although up in class but down in weight.

Owen's claim should make six-year-old gelding Senatorial a big hope after its third at Kempsey on Monday. Trainer Tony Ball said the winner of four races at Taree, two at the distance, had pulled up well after the Kempsey third over 1450m.

Newcastle trainer Paul Perry's six-year-old mare She's Independent is always hard to beat at the track where in nine starts there she has had four wins and three seconds. She will find this easier than when ninth (7.52 lengths) over 1600m at Warwick Farm on December 8, her last win at Taree being over 1600m on November 21.

Scone trainer Rodney Northam likes having a starter at Taree around Christmas as he greets his family and he has a worthy hope in six-year-old mare Mo's Glory which has had two wins from two starts at the Taree track.

Most races are wide open but good runs should be given by last start comfortable winner three-year-old filly Persian Beauty, trained on the track by Ross Stitt, in the Horsepower Class 1 & Maiden Plate over 1000m where she will again be ridden by Rachel Murray who, along with Stitt, has a high opinion of the filly.

Ball's last start Newcastle winner Clearly Regal in the Kennards Hire-Taree Benchmark 66 Handicap over 1250m could prove a winner for Bailey Wheeler. Stitt is also hoping for a better showing from seven-year-old gelding Editors, a winner three times at the track, with the Taree surface likely to be much firmer than that presented to the gelding in recent starts.

SELECTIONS
RACE 1: BENGALLA BAY 1, MONTE DE FIORE 2, MISS KOJIKI 3.
RACE 2: ROCKMARTON PAT 1, ALIBI DOT COM 2, MADIBA ROSE 3.
RACE 3: FAIRY BARRACUDA 1, THE LAST LOBBAN 2, MILITARY STAR 3.
RACE 4: KLOPP 1, FAATINAAT 2, ZARU 3.
RACE 5: VALLEY'S SISTER 1, MO'S GLORY 2, SHE'S INDEPENDENT 3.
RACE 6: PERSIAN BEAUTY 1, MINIFINN 2, PELGRAVE 3.
RACE 7: CLEARLY REGAL 1, ACHI BABA 2, ATLANTIC LITE 3.

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