THE days of SCOTT ASPERY having a bustling Sydney stable are long gone.
But the now Newcastle hobby trainer heads back there on Saturday, seeking his first city win in nine years with a $5000 yearling purchase.
Aspery is backing up last week’s Scone carnival placegetter, four-year-old Uzziah, in the Benchmark 72 Midway Handicap (1400m) at Rosehill Gardens, and considers it a “very winnable race”.
“I’m looking forward to taking him back to town to test him against city opposition,” he said today.
“Uzziah has a lot of ability, but only does what he has to, which is why his three country wins at Taree and Muswellbrook (twice) have been by narrow margins.
“He’s a bit of a thinker, and I’m keen to step him up against city opposition.
“His run when third to Super Helpful (beaten less than a length) in a 1300m Benchmark 72 at the metropolitan meeting at Scone last Saturday was excellent, and his unplaced run prior to that at Rosehill on April 29 can be forgiven.
“It was the first time Reece Jones had ridden him, and obviously didn’t know the horse.
“He would have been better sitting three deep outside the speed, and Uzziah still ran the second fastest last 200m of the race.
“Reece was back on him at Scone when he ran really well, and I’m pleased he is riding the horse again on Saturday.”
Aspery’s last city winner was $17 chance Estonian Princess (Brenton Avdulla) in the Group 3 JHB Carr Stakes (1400m) at Royal Randwick on April 26, 2014.
It was some training performance as he had brought her back from the 2000m of the Group 3 Adrian Knox Stakes there a fortnight earlier when seventh to Arabian Gold.
“It’s a very hard game, and I actually gave training away full time for a while,” Aspery said.
“I moved to Newcastle about five years ago and work as a courier driver, and decided to start training a couple of horses as a hobby.”
Aspery has two horses in work (Uzziah and Annulus), and they formed the bulk of a three-horse purchase he made at the 2020 Adelaide Magic Millions yearling sale, trading as Endeavour Bloodstock.
“I paid $5000 for Uzziah (by Outreach), and he has won three races and been placed six times from 12 starts and earned $95,000, and $3000 for Annulus (by Your Song), and he has also won three races and been placed seven times and earned nearly $120,000,” he said.
As can happen in this fickle game, Aspery spent more than double that pair, paying $10,000 for a Flying Artie youngster, who didn’t measure up and has been moved on.
“Uzziah has done well since Scone, and provided he handles the seven-day back up on Saturday as I hope he will, it’s a very winnable race.”
In an open affair with $5.50 joint favorites Kyeema and Mayrose, Uzziah this morning was at $10 with TAB.com.au.
Aspery during his time in Sydney won a number of metropolitan races at Randwick and Canterbury, but a Rosehill success has so far eluded him, though he has had six placings.
Understandably, he has a real soft spot for Newcastle as his very first starter ($31 chance Dictatorship in a 900m Maiden Plate on February 5, 2011) gave him a debut victory at Broadmeadow.
There is also a real Newcastle connection to Uzziah, whose human namesake was the King Of Judah for more than five decades.
The equine Uzziah’s dam, a Holy Roman Emperor mare, was prepared locally by 1996 Group 1 Queensland Derby (Valance) winning trainer Peter Eggleston.
Her name was Heavensentme, and her sole win was in a 1400m Newcastle Maiden in July, 2013.
For hard worker Aspery’s sake, let’s hope both an overdue Rosehill victory and another city triumph is heaven sent on Saturday!
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