3 minute read
The ongoing successful combination of hometown Nyngan racing mates is the value punting incentive into Dubbo’s capacity eight-race TAB meeting on Friday with the feature the $40,000 Kings Hall Jewellers Showcase Silver Goblet (1110m) for two-year-olds.
Young trainer Brett Robb is having a phenomenal season since he relocated around the same time from Nyngan to Dubbo, as did respected jockey Clayton Gallagher.
The pair essentially moved to a much larger racing base to reduce travelling time and be in closer proximity to the leading Central and Western tracks.
Robb and Gallagher combine in four races and Clayton has a full book with several prime contenders for other stables.
Brett with an astonishing 19% winning strike rate this season, has doubled his team and had the good fortune to take over the Dubbo stables vacated by Kody Nestor when he took an extended break from training and eventually returned to race riding.
"Clayton and I go back a long way; he did his apprenticeship as a young fella at Nyngan with dad (Rodney Robb) when I was foreman.
"We've had a lot of success - Clayton comes in and rides work with me every second day.
"We work in perfect, he's as good a rider out here as there is, none stronger, I'll tell you."
An intriguing runner for Brett is debut youngster Gallant Star ($10 on TAB) with Gallagher in the Silver Goblet. The gelding departed the Sydney stables of Annabel Neasham without racing off two modest trials late last year.
But something certainly clicked resuming in a new environment as the Zoustar two-year old impressively won a home track trial recently off ever improving trackwork.
"Look, it's a hot race, Sydney stables have come up for it and we've drawn the outside, but he's got a plenty of ability this gelding, nothing in the stable is working better than him.
"He's a massive unit, no favours where he's drawn and I reckon he'll be a better three-year-old, but he can gallop."
All Things Great ($12) in the second race maiden with Clayton is speedy and close to breaking through after a second at Dubbo. "
He drew wide and led, drawn in this time, blinkers go on and he's fitter third-up in the right race."
In later races Brett has value with seven-race winner Messy Miss ($7) and three-time winner No Debt ($4.40).
"Clayton has won four races on this mare, mostly home track, that's in our favour, she's probably past her best but she's fitter and it's not a deep form race."
Accomplished local Clint Lundholm has typically 'numbered up" and rarely misses at Dubbo. At present the track is a Soft 7 in overcast conditions.
