Inside Racing

HAMILTON trainer Barbara Marshman will set Grainger for a race at the Warrnambool May carnival after the three-year-old scored an impressive win in a 1200-metre maiden plate at Hamilton on Sunday.

Grainger is a full brother to Marshman's stable star Grundy's Crossing.

She said after the win that Grainger had shown plenty of promise in his trackwork and she was quietly confident that the son of My Patriarch would be very competitive in his debut race at Hamilton.

"It was a good effort. It's always a worry when you have a big field and there were a couple of handy horses in the field," she said.

"He had been working well but there's always a bit of a worry with a first starter."

Marshman said Grainger was similar to his elder brother.

"He's a similar type of horse to what Grundy's Crossing was when he was a three-year-old. He's not over-big. He's just a nuggety type of horse."

"We'll have a look at a race at the Warrnambool carnival next month, now that he's won his maiden."

Marshman said she would run Grundy's Crossing in a $100,000 race over 1600 metres at Flemington next Monday before giving the horse a break.

FORMER Warrnambool jockey Alan Peterson rode numerous winners during his career, but he is now starting to establish himself as a trainer.

Peterson has been working dilligently over the last 15 months in a bid to lay down the foundations for a long career as a trainer.

He took a couple of big steps when he led Haunted and Sugarfeet into the winners' stall at the recent Penola meeting.

"It was great to train two winners at Penola. We've got the monkey off our back," Peterson said.

"We've had numerous placegetters over recent weeks, it just gives you a bit of a boost when you lead in a winner Ð to train two on the one day was a real bonus."

The popular horseman said he only had six horses in work after spelling a few over recent weeks but he's hopeful of having a few runners at the upcoming Warrnambool May carnival.

"I've got three horses earmarked to run over the carnival," he said.

"We've been really busy at home putting the finishing touches on our new horse barn which has numerous facilities, it should make things a bit easier in the future."

WARRNAMBOOL trainer David "Butch" Londregan is facing an uphill battle to get his 11-year-old gelding Sovereign Ties ready for the $125,000 Warrnambool Grand Annual Steeplechase over 5500 metres on May 5.

Londregan scratched his veteran jumper from an open hurdle race over 3100 metres at Hamilton on Sunday because of a lack of rain.

"I'm just waiting till the weather breaks.

If we get some rain during the week I might take him to the picnics next Monday, but if it does not rain I might just keep him at home," Londregan said.

"There are some jumping races later in the year that would suit him, once the weather breaks."

Sovereign Ties ran second in the Grand Annual behind Sampan Man in 2003.

"I'm probably going to miss this year's Grand Annual because of the dry patch. It's disappointing but I'm not going to wreck the horse for one race when there are jumping races later in the year," he said.

Sovereign Ties has won six of his 33 starts in jumping races.

TOP Western District jockey Neville Wilson is hoping to make a return to race riding this weekend.

Wilson has been on the sidelines for nearly two weeks after injuring his ankle in a trackwork accident.

"It's picking up, but it's been a bit slow. I would be right this weekend. I aim to ride trackwork on Thursday," Wilson said.

"I had no breaks in my right ankle, there was only soft tissue and ligament damage, but it's just taken a bit more time than I thought to heal."

THE racing spotlight in the Western District will centre on Edenhope this Sunday when the Apsley Racing Club hosts its cup meeting at the Edenhope racecourse.

Main race on the eight-race program is the $25,000 Apsley Cup, which will be run over 1850 metres.

Colac St Patrick's picnic races will be held at the Colac racecourse on Monday, April 25.

RSL members can take advantage of free admittance to this Anzac Day meeting.

It's the 90th anniversary of Gallipoli and one jockey in every race in the state will be wearing an exclusive set of Anzac Day silks.

The use of the specially-designed Anzac Day silks is a joint initiative by Racing Victoria Limited and the Victorian branch of the Returned and Services League of Australia (RSL) and will help Victorian racegoers to remember the significance of the day.

The special colours embrace the spirit of Anzac with the official golden Australian Army badge, more commonly referred to as the Rising Sun set against khaki army colours.

Numerous other activities have been organised for patrons who attend the Colac picnic meeting.

Warrnambool Racing Club host its big three-day carnival on May 3, 4 and 5. Main race on the first day is the $55,000 Brierly Steeplechase over 3450 metres.

The feature on the second day is the $70,000 Galleywood Hurdle over 3000 metres.

The last day sees the running of the $110,000 Warrnambool Cup over 2350 metres and the $125,000 Warrnambool Grand Annual Steeplechase to be run over 5500 metres.

Another highlight on the last day is an open handicap over 1400 metres.

The Edenhope Racing Club races on May 8 and the Casterton Racing Club conducts its cup meeting on May 16.