By John Schell
Goulburn-based trainer Matthew Dale will attempt to book a spot in the $1 million Evergreen Turf Country Championships Final at Randwick on April 5 when he starts consistent galloper No Drama in the final qualifier for the event on Sunday.
Dale has No Drama set to contest the Evergreen Turf Southern Country Championships Wild Card (1400m) with Nick Heywood in the saddle, and the five-year-old son of Ghibellines heads into the race on the back of a last-start sixth in the SERA Country Championships at Nowra a month ago.
Racing returns to Goulburn on Sunday.Credit: Getty
“He is spot on,” said Dale.
“The run at Nowra was full of merit. He raced on the speed, and it was a blanket finish. He was only beaten just over one and a half lengths, and it looked to be a strong race.”
The Keith Dryden and Libby Snowden-trained Sunchyme won the event at Nowra when defeating Cable Express, which is prepared by Danielle Seib. Both of those gallopers earned themselves a spot in the rich final, leaving Dale to chase the Wild Card in order to gain a run.
“No Drama has drawn well enough in gate nine to be able to give Nick [Heywood] time to sum things up,” Dale said.
“His natural pattern is to race on the pace, and he should get his chance from that barrier.”
No Drama is tackling a number of runners that contested the SERA event at Nowra including Ticklebelly (4th), Mighty Myrtle (5th), Craving Magic (8th) and Kimberley Secrets (13th).
“It’s a good field again that is lining up at Goulburn,” said Dale.
“It will take a good horse to win it and also to go on and win the final, but we are in there with a hope.”
Seib will be out to snare another spot in the final when she saddles up the talented Bide Your Time in the Goulburn event, with the galloper having only had three starts for two wins at Wagga and a second in Highway grade at Rosehill. Bide Your Time will be ridden by Tom Sherry and has a horror barrier to overcome.
Supplied by Racing NSW
Full form and race replays available at racingnsw.com.au
