By Tony Megahey
The accomplished Barbara Joseph and Paul Jones combination is well advanced with the first satellite stable at Sapphire Coast Turf Club and their big team is primed to dominate Monday’s TAB meeting.
They are represented in six of the seven races on a day that has typically drawn the strongest regional stables including Matthew Dale, Nick Olive, the Dryden and Collings team and Luke Pepper.
The “Baroness of Bombala” is buoyed about the prospects of some promising newcomers and a spectacular new era at the popular southern circuit.
“It’s so exciting, construction is well under way at Kalaru, we’ve already got horses based at the Bega stables of our new foreman Grant Bobbin and I’ll eventually be based there while Paul oversees our ACT operation,” Barbara said.
“I fancy a couple of ours on Monday but looking at the fields all the strong stables are there and with form because it’s leading into that big money Bega Cup carnival, their biggest of the season.”
“My best are Prying in a maiden late in the day, Therese in the sixth, and maybe Blue Tuscan earlier at value odds.
“Prying was desperately unlucky at Wagga. He was run off the track winding up, had to balance up again and only got beat a neck. “That was his first run off a barrier trial so he’s a nice progressive type but you never know the standard of the opposition when the form isn’t exposed in these maidens and there’s some smart trainers with runners.
“Blue Tuscan also copped interference at Moruya, he’s no star but races on pace which is vital at Sapphire.
“Therese has been a nice money spinning mare. She has good speed, races on pace and is ready first up.”
The compelling form line for speedy Therese is a close 1000m Canberra second to Matt Dale’s subsequent Moonee Valley winner Yasnat who was only beaten late in a Warwick Farm Highway Handicap earlier this month.
Recent Highway winners, the Collings and Dryden team have leading contenders in several events, as has Luke Pepper.
Luke won last week’s Moruya Town Place with Hello Schumann and was an unlucky second in the Cup with Marquee who has been set for the upcoming lucrative Bega Cup.
Officials are expecting a bumper holiday crowd and free buses are available from regional townships.
View the fields, form and race replays for Sapphire Coast here.