3 minute read
It's back to business straight away for trainer Theresa Bateup at Wagga on Monday after a career highlight winning double at Kembla Grange.
Theresa Bateup will make the long trip from Kembla Grange to Wagga with Alan ($17 on TAB) and Stryke 'Em Onsie ($8.50), while her other horse, Club Legend has been scratched.
Bateup won with The Guru and Divine Breath in $130,000 races at Kembla Grange's biggest race meeting of the year highlighted by The Gong.
Her winning jockey Brock Ryan also won the $1 million feature race with Count De Rupee who is prepared by father and son duo Robert and Luke Price.
Their stable apprentice Madison Waters will ride Alan and Stryke 'Em Onsie as Bateup looks to extend her recent winning record which also includes a victory with Steve Steve Steve at Wagga in October.
Theresa Bateup [pictured left] said she was still on a high after her most successful day at the races even though she has trained multiple winners on many occasions.
"I have never had three runners at a Saturday metropolitan meeting and to have two winners at my home track is a definite career highlight," she said.
"It's a quick turnaround to Wagga and a lot had to be organised before we left early in the morning. I think both horses are well placed at Wagga and look strong chances."
Alan hasn't won in five starts this campaign but has finished third at the Sapphire Coast and Goulburn. Bateup feels if the switched-on version of Alan turns up at Wagga he can go close to winning his second race at his 19th start.
The galloper has finished third five times and Bateup says it will all come down to racing with the right attitude for the first of her two runners.
"If the right horse turns up he will be right in the finish, but he can let you down when you expect him to run well and vice versa when you think he isn't much of a chance he runs well," she said.
"Some of the owners of the two Wagga horses also have a connection to my two Kembla Grange winners so it would be nice to keep the ball rolling with a winner. He has handled soft tracks in the past and Wagga is a slow seven so that should him."
A string of female jockeys have ridden Alan for most of his starts and Waters will add her name to the list. Important Product ($2.40 favourite) has the most consistent recent form and is at the top of the betting market along with Openhimup ($2.90).
Meanwhile, Stryke 'Em Onsie's last start second behind stablemate Moon Stories has Bateup confident she can go close to breaking through at her seventh career start.
"If she can keep improving and run as well as she did last start Moon Stories which goes quite well then she should go well in this grade," she enthused.
"It has been a slow process with her, but her confidence is better and her last two starts have been her best. It's her first time at a mile and she has had a bit of exposure to wet tracks and handled them well enough.
"Madison's two kilogram claim is a bonus and she has drawn well enough to get a good run."
Wagga will conduct nine races with the highlight race being the heat of the stayer's series over 1800m.
The consistent Dolphina is the $3.70 favourite and from barrier one is well placed at her first start for three weeks. The mare won consecutive races at Albury and Wagga in September on soft-rated surfaces.
