Despite becoming one of the first trainers to operate a satellite stable out of the Sapphire Coast Turf Club, the Barbara Joseph and Paul Jones stable struggled to crack the podium on Monday.
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The duo were represented in six of seven races on the day, and scored two fourth-place finishes.
Race pundit Tony Megahey said Monday’s Tathra Cup was a draw “that has typically drawn the strongest regional stables including Matthew Dale, Nick Olive, the Dryden and Collings team and Luke Pepper.”
The “Baroness of Bombala” is buoyed about the prospects of some promising newcomers and a spectacular new era at the popular southern circuit.
“It’s so exciting, construction is well under way at Kalaru, we’ve already got horses based at the Bega stables of our new foreman Grant Bobbin and I’ll eventually be based there while Paul oversees our ACT operation,” Ms Joseph said.
Prior to the racing Ms Joseph said she fancied a few of her horses, “but looking at the fields all the strong stables are there and with form because it’s leading into that big money Bega Cup carnival, their biggest of the season,” she said.
It's so exciting ... we’ve already got horses based at the Bega stables of our new foreman Grant Bobbin and I’ll eventually be based there
- Barbara Joseph
She expected the best results from Prying in a Maiden late in the day, Therese in the sixth and said Blue Tuscan had some decent odds earlier in the day.
“Prying was desperately unlucky at Wagga – he was run off the track winding up, had to balance up again and only got beat by a neck,” she said.
“That was his first run off a barrier trial so he’s a nice progressive type, but you never know the standard of the opposition when the form isn’t exposed in these maidens and there’s some smart trainers with runners.”
Despite a good run on Monday, Prying faced some stiff opposition and welcomed a middle-of-the-pack finish.
The results, however, came out of Therese in the sixth and Tempest Rock in the opening race.
“Therese has been a nice money spinning mare. She has good speed, races on pace and is ready first up,” Ms Joseph said.
The compelling form line for speedy Therese is a close 1000m Canberra second to Matt Dale’s subsequent Moonee Valley winner Yasnat who was only beaten late in a Warwick Farm Highway Handicap earlier this month.
Recent Highway winners, the Collings and Dryden team have leading contenders in several events, as has Luke Pepper.
Luke won last week’s Moruya Town Place with Hello Schumann and was an unlucky second in the Cup with Marquee who has been set for the upcoming lucrative Bega Cup.
Organisers said it was a spectacular day.