Tony Ball knows how to win a race, with the veteran Taree trainer bringing up many wins throughout the Mid-North Coast and Northern Rivers, while he’s never been afraid of a trip north or south to take on the richer provincial and metropolitan races.
Still, a victory in his hometown Taree Cup has eluded him, and he is hoping that will change on Sunday with recent Krambach Cup winner Strobing (Mollie Fitzgerald, $19) contesting the 2000m feature.
“I am from Kempsey originally, and after ten years with Peter Snowden and Godolphin, I’ve been up here the whole time and in Taree since the kids have been growing up,” Ball said.
“It’s been a good town to me, and I’d love to win the Taree Cup; I’ve only had one runner in it, which was Senatorial, a few years ago.
“To win would be a big boost for me and the staff; my son Michael runs the joint, and Mollie (Fitzgerald) is my apprentice, and we’ve got the other girls that ride, and it would be great for everyone to win the hometown cup.”
Sunday’s $100,000 Taree Gold Cup is a Big Dance qualifier and one of, if not the premier Country Cup in the Mid-North Coast Racing Association.
As a result, leading stables have targeted the event.
Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott will start I’mintowin (Regan Baylis), Kris Lees is racing Rogue Bear (Dylan Gibbons), Sam Kavanagh is bringing one-time Singapore racing star and 2020 Kranji Mile winner Aramayo (Ash Morgan), and Ciaron Maher and David Eustace have entered Herman Hesse (Andrew Gibbons).
Ball isn’t deterred by the opposition, suggesting that Strobing will take some beating if the conditions suit and the race is run to his liking.
“He’s not it in to go around for a look,” Ball laughed.
“He’s in it to win it; he will go good.
“His run at Kempsey the other day was good; he was camped three deep and the last hundred told, but he is on the nine-day backup and worked well yesterday (Thursday) morning.”
The 63-year-old suggested that two things needed to go in his five-year-old’s favour if they were to win the $100,000 event.
“It is raining here at the moment, and he is by Americain so that will suit him; the wetter, the better,” Ball laughed.
“He loves the wet, and we need it to be a truly run 2000m; hopefully, Gai (Waterhouse) sends that horse, and it will lead, and her horses run along at a good clip, so there should be some pace.
“He won’t know himself either; he carried a bit of weight at Kempsey, and he drops back to 52kg for Taree.”
While the $100,000 Taree Gold Cup headlines the program, it’s set to be a big race day for the Manning Valley Race Club, with the $50,000 Benchmark 66 Handicap (1250m), $50,000 Super Maiden Plate (1000m) and $35,000 Lightning Handicap (1000m) all complementing the feature event.
“This meeting is always popular, and it’s good for everyone involved,” Ball said.
“A lot of locals own horses with me, and we’ve got seven runners, and we would have six or so in each horse, and it gives these owners a chance to go to the races and enjoy it.
“Plus, everyone dreams of winning their hometown cup.”
Ball does look to be in for a good day on his home deck, and he was happy to lead punters into two of his chances.
“They all suit softer tracks, and they’re all good chances,” Ball said.
“If it does keep raining, Xtra Approval will be a real good chance in the Benchmark 66 (1250m) and Time For Victory (Grand Buckley) looks like a good chance in the Lightning (1000m).
It’s always a big meeting, with fashions on the field and entertainment for racegoers off-track, and readers can click here to learn more about Taree’s race day.
For full fields, click here.
