Tamworth racing doyen Sue Grills achieved a remarkable training feat with her star sprinter Just In Reach, strongly fancied for the TAB Spring Cup at her home track on Monday in preference to Rosehill Gardens on Saturday.
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Always hard to beat and primed with the comforts of home and no travel, Grills has other contenders aside from Just In Reach in the $27,000 Cup.
Spirit of Vomo, formerly with the Waterhouse and Bott stables and a Pakenham maiden winner is in the fourth event, and ex-Kris Lees Lady Chartwell, a Doomben placegetter contests the opening maiden.
But five-race winner Just In Reach is a comeback of proportions.
The six-year-old won the recent Moree Town Plate first-up and having not raced since winning a Royal Randwick TAB Highway in late December. Near nine months!
"I thought he was good enough for the Kosciuszko the way he was progressing but unbelievably he somehow fractured his jaw," Grills explained.
"We don't know how he did it ... just a mess ... had to have it wired for a couple of months and he lost so much condition.
"But thankfully it didn't affect his confidence, he's come back as good as ever, just so genuine."
"There's still a slot left in the Kosciuszko, so if he happens to win well, who knows. Moree was his barrier trial for this after such a long time without a race."
Just In Reach powered home in near record time to win the 950m Town Plate and will again be ridden by Ashley Morgan, who was keen to retain the ride for the Spring Cup, where the impeccably bred Outreach protégé by Justine, a Lonhro mare, has 57.5kg and barrier five.
"Really strong Cup, always are country opens," Grills said.
"'Ash' has won on him twice, we're drawn and still fresh enough off that 900m. We'll be right on the pace at 1200m.
Lady Chartwell is resuming and offers a Doomben placing as strong form back to a country maiden.
"Not a lot of her but nice enough mare and her work has been good for this grade," Grills said.
An early Pakenham win by Spirit of Vomo is a strong form line for Tamworth but he might need more time third-up.
"He'll need all of the 1400m and wants soft tracks, but he does have ability," she said.
