A train driver, ex-dairy farmer and businessman all appear on course for Sawtell Cup success on Sunday – but trainer Felicity Firth is fretting over Primed To Win's impost for the Coffs Harbour feature.
"I think he can probably nearly win again, but he's so badly weighted," the Grafton trainer said of her four-year-old's 57kg burden on Sunday. "He's only a Class 4 horse when it's all said and done.
"I hate this benchmark system with a passion. If you get a horse that's half decent and they just get cruelled. He's gone up 15 ratings points in his last three starts. Realistically, he should be on the limit. I think he can still win, but it's going to make it very hard for him."
Primed To Win is expected to vie for favouritism as he auditions for a start in the rich Coffs Harbour Cup on August 7.
The horse, which was luckless in the South Grafton Cup before winning on the final day of Firth's hometown carnival, is the only galloper in work for his trainer.
Firth decided to raid Victoria's Churchill Lodge to buy Primed To Win as a 15-month-old, following the success the stable had with half-brothers Umatrick and Slick Nick.
"He [Primed To Win] was actually very small," Firth said. "We left him to grow and now he's about 17 hands ... he's an absolute monster now. He was a late maturer and we never got him broken in until two-and-a-half.
"And I think he's going to be a better horse next time in, too. He's got a bit of maturing to do."
Firth's sister Diana Ball is among the eclectic ownership group who race Primed To Win, gunning for his third win at Coffs Harbour from only four starts.
RYAN FIGHTS BAN
Champion bush jockey Greg Ryan will exhaust all avenues to clear his name, with an appeal into his six-week suspension to be heard on Tuesday.
Stewards outed Ryan for six weeks over his ride on Grey Pariz in a Class 2 Handicap at Dubbo last month, claiming he didn't give the horse "full opportunity to win or obtain the best possible place in the field".
The Dubbo-based Ryan elected to drift back in a bid to get cover on the $2.50 favourite before the gelding rattled down the outside to finish third, beaten one length. It was the first handling charge Ryan had incurred in more than 15,000 race rides.
Ryan has been riding under a stay of proceedings and while he has already stitched up the NSW jockeys' title, he is desperate to reel in nationwide leader Brad Rawiller over the final days of the season.
DAY MOVES ON
Speaking of Dubbo, the City of Dubbo Turf Club is on the hunt for a new secretary manager after long-time incumbent Mark Day finished up on Friday.
Day, who was recently appointed as a life member of the club after helping restore it from financial ruin, will leave after more than six years in the role. Allyson Neave will stay on in a caretaker capacity for the next five weeks.
Day will devote more time to his Winning Edge laser business which manufactures the therapeutic treatment widely used by greyhound trainers throughout Australia.
"When I came to the club it was basically insolvent and there were creditors lining up at the door waiting to be paid," Day said. "But we're now out of debt and fully own all our assets."
Applications for the vacancy close on August 6.
TAB meetings: Sunday – Coffs Harbour, Quirindi. Monday – Moruya, Warren. Friday – Port Macquarie. Saturday – Coonabarabran.
