KEMBLA Grange trainer Joe Ible has a twofold purpose at his home track meeting on Saturday.
Whilst introducing a new young jockey to the local scene, he is also hoping a link with a more experienced rider in brilliant form can lift his sole runner back into the winning list.
Apprentice Hollie Hull has joined the Ible team, and will have her first provincial ride on fellow Kembla Grange trainer Brett Lazzarini’s Bonus Tempus in the Markey Saddlery Midway Maiden Plate (1000m), whereas the trainer has joined the Jean Van Overmeire bandwagon, looking for some of his “magic” to rub off on Mil Ciento in the Price Racing Champion Trainer Class 1 Handicap (1500m).
Hull’s booking for Bonus Tempus means her 3kg claim will lessen the Impending four-year-old’s weight to 56kg.
He has been placed up to 2000m, but is awkwardly drawn as he begins another campaign.
Hull, who comes from a racing family, is launching only her second full season of riding and has tallied 11 winners in the country – all for Dubbo trainer Clint Lundholm, to whom she has been apprenticed. Her latest success was on $8.60 chance Sin City Belle at Dubbo on July 10.
“Hollie has joined us on a three months’ trial,” Ible’s racing manager Tim Delios said last night. “She drove from Dubbo last Sunday and has settled in well. “Hollie rode one of Tim’s horses (Arteluce) in a Kembla trial on Wednesday morning, and afterwards Brett (Lazzarini) put her on a couple of his in jumpouts. “We have been introducing her to other Kembla trainers such as Kerry Parker and Theresa Bateup to let them know she is here and available for rides.”
Mil Ciento, a Super One five-year-old, was a Queanbeyan Maiden (1000m) winner in March last year at only his second start. However, he hasn’t found the winning post in front in 15 starts since, but has been placed on seven occasions. At one stage late last year, he ran four placings in succession and is coming off a last start second in a Sapphire Coast Class 1/Maiden Plate (1600m) on July 30.
Van Overmeire had a brilliant 2022-23 season, and his 85-winner haul including snaring the Bill Wade Medal at Newcastle for the jockey with the best strike rate during the racing year.
He has carried on, bagging four winners at Kembla Grange last Saturday, and two more this week – Eight Of A Kind at Goulburn last Monday and Silvanito in the closer at Newcastle yesterday. “Jean chased the ride on Mil Ciento, so we’re hoping that’s a good sign,” Delios said. A measure of Van Overmeire’s popularity is that his book of seven rides (Scarlet Prince has been withdrawn from the final race) is all for different trainers. As well as Mil Ciento, he partners Golden Passport for Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott, Fortress Australia (James Cummings), Tender Streak (Nathan Doyle), Smashing Dancer (Kim Waugh), Jedibeel (Brad Widdup), and Cani Cancan (Paul Murray).
Van Overmeire is dually booked in Tender Streak’s race as he also been listed as fourth emergency Riley Park’s rider, but that horse needs another three scratchings to secure a start.
There will be plenty of interest in the reappearance of Newcastle trainer Nathan Doyle’s Wooloowin, named after a Brisbane suburb, in the CH4 Gas Drainage Provincial Benchmark 64 Handicap (1200m). The Capitalist filly was late into her two-year-old season when, at only her second start and first since February, she easily disposed of older rivals in a Gosford Provincial Maiden (1100m) on July 22.
The rail is out 7m from the 1100m to the winning post, and 6m for the remainder of the circuit. Course manager Dave Anderson has posted a “Good 4” rating for the program, which begins at 12.30pm.
A total of 22mm of rain has been recorded in the past week, but nothing in the last 24 hours.
Selections by Michael Craig are:
Race 1 3 Golden Passport big chance fresh from long break
4 Agita ran on well at only start
6 High Cathedral extra distance here will suit
Race 2 1 Asva will be hard to hold out
2 Allhallowtide best 2 runs have been at this track
8 Mil Ciento starting to hit best form
Race 3 11 She’s Got Veuve nice run when resuming
1 Shadow Dane just missed at Newcastle
6 Mr Caleb will be fitter for one run back
Race 4 9 Tender Streak looks close to a win
11 Lonhro’s Queen has trialled impressively
8 Life Coach could improve on first up effort
Race 5 11 Write This Way ready after 2 recent trials
10 Royal Divide expect a good run on debut
4 Serafima has handy recent form
Race 6 3 Dancing Alone extremely promising galloper
4 Vegas Raider will be finishing fast
6 Jedibeel returning from a short break
Race 7 8 Wooloowin easy winner when resuming
9 Cani Cancan made good ground in Wagga victory
1 Tinka’s Lad back to preferred distance
Race 8 1 Piraeus should be close to peak fitness
2 Scarlet Prince got a long way back at last start
7 Trust The Process not far away in recent runs
Article by John Curtis, 11th August 2023, Photo – Racing Photography.
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