TAMWORTH Jockey Club’s track manager Lindsay Bowne promised the track for Sunday week’s Country Championship Qualifier at Tamworth will be “picture perfect”.
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The Championships return to Tamworth for the first time in a few years and Browne knows it is imperative to have the track in top condition as a showcase for the club and racing in this part of the H&NWRA.
Bowne was commenting during Tuesday’s Corporate Sponsors meeting when the track was rated a Good 3.
“It will be picture perfect,” he said.
“It has to be.
"Simple as that."
Not to mention Bowne and his staff are “working around the clock” to keep it in the good nick it has been for the past few months.
“The jockeys are happy with it [the track],” he added.
“It’s pretty good to have it like this considering what we’ve been going through (ongoing and disastrous drought).
"It has been frustrating with no rain but it's heads down and backsides up and get the track the best we can for the Country Championships.”
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Tamworth will also supply a few of the fancied runners as well such as Suncraze and Moobi.
Cody Morgan’s Moobi has created enormous interest after slashing wins at Scone and in Sydney.
Suncraze is a five-year-old gelding son of Henrythenavigator who has won a staggering $576,235 in prizemoney for Melanie O’Gorman and owner Anthony Gow-Gates.
He’s won five races, including two Highway handicaps in Sydney and last year’s HNWRA Country Championship Qualifier at Scone.
He is almost more famous for his nine seconds, finishing second in four Highways and then second to Bellflyer in the inaugural Kosciuszko at Randwick.
He was second again in his trial at Tamworth after Tuesday’s seven-race TAB meeting.
It was an impressive hit out, Suncraze leading much of the way without being extended for stablemate Beauty Best to surge past and win by almost a length.
They ran a sizzling 57.16secs and finished the last 600m in 34.29secs.
It was a pleasing effort for Melanie, who had also trained the winner of the first trial (Cut The Mustard) as well as Akecheta in the first race of the day, the $22,000 Peel Valley Tyres Colts, Geldings and Entires Maiden Plate (1200m).
Akacheta was having his third race start after debuting with a fourth at Inverell and then finishing third at Scone before his break through win at Tamworth today.
He too is owned by Anthony Gow-Gates.
Andrew Gibbons rode Akacheta and believes he will “make a horse” while Melanie will “find a Class 1 for him and take it easy with him.”
Suncraze, she said, has “been going good”.
“I’ve been very happy with him,” she said.
“I think he’s spot on with his track work.
"He’s a good, fresh horse and comes to hand quickly.
"The odds are stacked against him this time though.
"Last year he got in with a nice weight but this time I couldn’t run him before the race (due to the race conditions) so he will have to go in fresh.
“There are some very good horses in it (Qualifier) too.
"Cody’s (Morgan) got a couple of nice horses, speed horses that will be up front and won’t have to carry much weight.
"But the race is a great concept and it’s a great program.”
