Friday, 13 July 2012: Port Macquarie trainer Neil Godbolt wishes he had a stable full of horses like redoubtable filly Never Doubt Me.
 | Neil Godbolt
Photo by Racing and Sports | |
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The tough three-year-old lines up in Sunday's $30,000 Maclean Cup (1400m) at Grafton for the 16th start of her current campaign.
She will carry the hopes of the Godbolt stable as her stablemate Better Not Doubt is an unlikely starter.
“She's forced to carry big weights but puts in every time. You can't ask for more,” Godbolt said of the filly.
“I'd like a stable full of honest horses like her.”
Never Doubt Me 
has earned topweight of 58.5kg in the Maclean Cup, having won 10 of her 24 starts and more than $200,000 prizemoney.
After star apprentice Matthew McGurren's 1.5kg claim, the filly will carry 57kg against older, more seasoned gallopers.
“She pays for her consistency,” Godbolt said. “As a three-year-old filly she shouldn't have to give weight to older horses but she's rated so highly, she keeps getting big weights.
“I suppose she's earned it but it doesn't make her job any easier.”
Godbolt said Never Doubt Me's long campaign is nearly coming to an end.
“I've been waiting for her to put in a bad one then it will be straight to the paddock but she keeps running good races,” he said.
“She does very well between runs, that's probably the reason she's stayed up so long.”
Never Doubt Me was a last start neck second to General's Sniper in the Jungle Juice Cup (1350m) at Cessnock on July 3 after being runner up to Kinetics in the Wauchope Cup (1500m) at Port Macquarie on June 17.
Godbolt had the filly entered for Monday's $30,000 Darley Tiara at Muswellbrook but baulked when she received topweight of 61kg.
“The weight stopped that idea,” Godbolt added. “She's the best horse in the Maclean Cup but weighted that way.
“If there's sting out of the track that will suit her and with a decent tempo up front she'll be thereabouts with them at the finish.”
The tempo could rest with former Maclean Cup winner Innocenttassie from the John Shelton yard.
The eight-year-old gelding won the cup in 2009 and 2011.
