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Regional riding great Grant Buckley, with a typical full book, will reassess the form with his most valuable ally if conditions worsen from rain at Narromine’s ANZAC tribute TAB meeting on Thursday.
On a soft seven track at present, the traditional meeting has attracted capacity fields for seven races and a typically strong field for the feature USMC Narromine Diggers Cup, $24,000, 1300m.
Grant Buckley [pictured left], married to popular SKY Racing analyst and former jockey Chantelle Buckley, rides in six of the seven races and is in the zone coming off a Bathurst winning double on Monday and is well past 2000 career wins.
"We're ticking over OK, live chances all day but so much depends on the rain and how the tracks plays," offered Grant.
"Chantelle does her form with a passion, big asset for me, she says if she did the same homework when she was riding she'd have been a lot more successful.
"She's tipping super, lot more time for the form than me, with the daily trackwork, travel and racedays."
However, as its shaping, wet form is a prerequisite at Narromine.
"That's certainly the issue in my Cup ride for Tracy Bartley (Defeat - $26 on TAB), he's tough, five-race winner back in grade off city form, some soft track form but if it's a down grade to heavy, a real concern."
Grant has three rides for accomplished Scone trainer Rod Northam with Miss Dungog ($5.50) contesting the opening maiden.
"This filly trialled really well, impressive turn of foot, it'll be needed from the wide draw, progressive but the wet track's the worry."
Stablemate, Bootscooter ($3.20 into $2.90 favourite) is in another maiden, race three: "She's a Sidestep filly resuming since December, close to breaking through and from last prep, a lot to like.
"She's been placed in the going, top run at Scone on a heavy nine and drawn in."
Northam's three-race winner Tango Stepz ($8.50) contests the fourth event: "She's freshened, raced well second-up, has won in the heavy and been in some decent form races."
At present Narromine is a soft 7 in rain with clearing weather forecast.
