By Tony Megahey
Accomplished locals Sue Grills and Cody Morgan are the trainers to follow on home turf at Tamworth’s TAB meeting on Sunday where regional great Greg Ryan has select mounts for both leading stables.
However, before Sue assessed her prospects on an eight-race programme with capacity fields, she was keenly anticipating far bigger occasions.
“The Kosciuszko - Burning Crown has come back enormous for me, every country trainer with a really good horse has that race in mind,” Sue enthused.
Already proven in city Saturday grade, Burning Crown is a $26 chance in early markets for biggest and richest race ($1.3 million) in regional racing history where Group sprinter Victorem heads the markets at $4.40 ahead of Noble Boy ($6) for the race on The Everest day at Royal Randwick.
Sales are booming for sweepstakes tickets at $5 at TAB agencies, the TAB app and various outlets.
Meanwhile at Tamworth on Sunday, Sue rates lightly raced improver Mick’s Regret, to be ridden by Ryan in a third race maiden, as her best for the day.
“Out to 1400m really suits him, he’s fitter two runs back, he’s progressed and from an inside draw Greg should give him every chance,” she said.
“All his runs have been solid and he’s in a suitable maiden again.”
Her stable apprentice Yvette Lewis rides debut maiden Kynuna in the opening event.
“(Kynuna) is still green and inexperienced, she’s shown ability but will improve on whatever she does,'' Grills said.
“But that 4kg claim for Yvette is an advantage in anything and she’s getting more opportunities with trainers.”
Ryan is aboard Onya Rosie in the fifth event and Sue says her last start failure at Tamworth can be forgotten - "she picked up a virus, she’s over that now, she’s drawn wide but her previous form was good and she’s an honest mare.”
Morgan will be hard to beat in the last on Crowd Surfer to be ridden by Aaron Bullock off a dominant Tamworth win three weeks ago, resuming off successive trials.
On Friday Tamworth was rated a good four track in fine weather.
All the fields, form and replays for Sunday's Tamworth meeting