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By Graeme White

Trainer Alison Smith hopes any advantage she has at her home track of Orange can give her stable runners the edge on Tuesday like it did at the previous meeting at Towac Park.

Alison Smith [pictured below] is one of only two trainers based in town and her results from Racing Orange’s previous meeting on September 20 were indicative of her team’s liking for the circuit.

The mother of two daughters saddled up five starters finishing with a first, two seconds, a third and a fourth.

All of her starters weighed in for a major share of the prizemoney and it may again be the case on Tuesday even though her list of runners is likely to be reduced by half.

She landed the quinella with $2.20 favourite Brief Statement and $101 chance Krissy Krystyna at Orange four weeks ago and was also fourth with Snap Crackle Boom which will start in the John Davis Motors Class 1 (1280m).

The 48-year-old also has Who’s Tinny backing-up on Tuesday in the Southern Cross Austereo Benchmark 58 (2100m) after the mare broke through for her first victory at her 12th start at Bathurst on Saturday.

However, she is likely to withdraw Krissy Krystyna and I’ll Tell You Miss from the Australian National Field Days Maiden (1400m).

“Who’s Tinny is fit and likes the track so she can start again, but the other two are likely to come out because there are a few other races coming up for them,” Smith said.

“Snap Crackle Boom has drawn awkwardly in ten, but she has a good jockey (Grant Buckley) and should run well.”

Smith is a former amateur jockey and apprentice rider and with ten horses in training she is kept busy. She rides the majority of her horses track work, but the town’s only other trainer Brad Draper also assists when called on.

Smith’s husband Nathan is also on hand to clean stables and assist with the daily operation and while training numbers are down at Orange, she can see improvements at the circuit.

“We used to race more often that we do these days. I still do most of the work myself especially over the past month,” she said. “It was a good day for the stable at the last meeting and I suppose it helps when the horses only have to be walked across to the track from their stable to race.

“I’m happy if the horses perform to their ability and arrive home safely. You don’t always win but results like the last meeting were what you work towards.”

Smith said the addition of a horse walker and a water treadmill on track were welcomed and would allow the two trainers on track to apply more variety with their training methods. It has assisted her to date and she hopes it can continue on Tuesday.

Draper will start one of his two horses, Fortuneous, giving the two “locals” another chance of winning a race on the seven-race program.

Meanwhile, promising and lightly raced sprinter Smuggler’s Bay resumes from a spell in the Spanline Class 3 (1000m). Smuggler’s Bay won his first two starts before finishing second at his final run before a break at Bathurst in June.

The gelding should find the lead from barrier three and with the scratching of last start winner Chevconi should justify his short price.

The Orange track is presently rated as a soft seven with some showers forecast for Tuesday.

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