EXPERIENCED Sydney trainer Ron Leemon is banking on a recent gear change bringing him a change of luck at Wyong tomorrow.
A Group 1 winner with Manawanui in the $1m Golden Rose at Rosehill Gardens in 2011, Leemon has dominant favoriteLoniesha lining up in the We Care Connect & Central Coast Kids In Need 4YO&Up Maiden Handicap (1350m) as he bids to end the season on a winning note.
“I’ve only ever had a small team, but nothing has gone right of late,” Leemon said this morning.
“I have been dogged with injuries such as sesamoid and tendon problems to a number of horses who had ability.
“It’s been very frustrating and even with this mare Loniesha, it’s been difficult to find the right race for her.
“She resented a tongue tie and I found an old tongue control bit in my gear which is very fine, and it seems to suit her.
“Loniesha ran a nice race (third at Hawkesbury in a 1300m Maiden against her own sex on July 17 at $51) when she raced in it for the first time, and hopefully it will work well again tomorrow.”
Apprentice Zac Lloyd partnered Loniesha at Hawkesbury and his 1.5kg claim brings the mare in with 57.5kg – 1kg below the limit.
A rising five-year-old daughter of former champion Lonhro, Loniesha fetched $150,000 when offered at the 2019 Inglis Premier yearling sale in Melbourne.
But after three country placings without a win from nine starts, she was put on the market and Leemon and long-standing client Phil Gibb purchased her for $9500 online last December.
“Phil wanted to buy a Lonhro mare, and we were able to buy Loniesha through the Inglis digital sale,” Leemon explained.
“I was thinking about taking her to the Forbes Cup Showcase meeting on Sunday until I noticed this 1350m Maiden at Wyong.
“It would be nice to get a win with her, and sell her on in the near future as she will make a lovely broodmare. Loniesha is well bred and has a magnificent nature.”
Leemon also starts first emergency, $26 chance Miss Anticipation (Lloyd), if she secures a run in the Daily Press & Carlton & United Breweries Class 1 Handicap (1200m), and has opted to put blinkers on her.
The Dream Ahead mare was his last winner, at Nowra on January 10 last year, when she bolted in with an 1100m Maiden Plate against her own sex.
Jason Collett and Tommy Berry lock horns at tomorrow’s final meeting of the 2021-22 racing year to decide the jockeys’ premiership winner.
Collett’s victory on Prefect Match at the last Wyong meeting on July 19 lifted him to 11 wins for the season; one ahead of Berry and Tim Clark.
Collett has six mounts tomorrow; three for Sydney supremo Chris Waller (Phosphene, Adorable Miss and Ring Ahoy), two for fellow Sydney trainer Jason Coyle (Dream Maiden and Reach For Gold) and the other for the Sydney stable of leading Melbourne trainers Ciaron Maher and David Eustace (Flower Moon).
Adorable Miss (a firming $2.20 favorite with TAB.com.au for the Accolade Wines & Nestle Professional Maiden Handicap, 1600m) is the best fancied.
The Pierro mare has been placed at two (both at Newcastle) of her last four starts.
Berry has four mounts; Sightseer for Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott, Zeminnika for Peter and Paul Snowden, Tick Tock Boom for Annabel Neasham, and Ready’s Girl for local trainer Kristen Buchanan.
Sightseer ($3.70) is the most favoured of the foursome.
Newcastle’s talented apprentice Dylan Gibbons is on verge of completing an outstanding achievement by winning the provincial jockeys’ title.
He has ridden 47 winners on provincial tracks in 2021-22, six more than Collett.
Gibbons has five Wyong rides; Highland Cathedral ($6.50) and Diamond Hands ($9) for Bjorn Baker, Highly Ambitious ($6) for his boss Kris Lees, Freedom Square ($7.50) for Paul Messara, and Concocted ($6.50) for Nathan Doyle.
. The rail is out 4m from the 1350m to 1000m, and 1m for the remainder of the circuit. An improving “Heavy 8” rating was posted this morning for the 1350m to 1000m chute, but it is important to note the rest of the track is a “Soft 6”. Racing begins at 12.20pm.
SELECTIONS
Race 1 – 12.20pm: THE BELLBIRDS & CENTRAL COAST VOLUNTEER RESCUE ASSOCIATION 3YO MAIDEN PLATE, 1350m: 1 I AM GERONIMO, 2 Jumeirah Beach, 3 Phosphene, 4 Nullify.
Race 2 – 12.55pm: WE CARE CONNECT & CENTRAL COAST KIDS IN NEED 4YO&UP MAIDEN HCP, 1350m: 1 LONIESHA, 2 Company Line, 3 Danzette, 4 Limpida.
Race 3 – 1.30pm: ACCOLADE WINES & NESTLE PROFESSIONAL MAIDEN HCP, 1600m: 1 ADORABLE MISS, 2 Pacific Warrior, 3 Nosey Parker, 4 Riccos.
Race 4 – 2.15pm: BISHOP COLLINS & AUSTBROKERS 2YO MAIDEN HCP, 1300m: 1 SIGHTSEER, 2 Ring Ahoy, 3 Gotta Fly, 4 Highland Cathedral..
Race 5 – 2.50pm: DAILY PRESS & CARLTON & UNITED BREWERIES CLASS 1 HCP, 1200m: 1 SIYATA, 2 Golden Gate, 3 Zeminnika, 4 Highly Ambitious.
Race 6 – 3.25pm: REGNIS REFRIGERATION & SONS & HARVEY NORMAN COMMERCIAL DIVISION BENCHMARK 64 HCP, 1350m: 1 TICK TOCK BOOM, 2 Air Of Alsace, 3 Enjolras, 4 Real Key.
Race 7 – 4.05pm: WYONG ROOS FOUNDATION CONDITIONAL BENCHMARK 68 HCP, 1600m: 1 I WANT ONE, 2 Freedom Square, 3 Flower Moon, 4 Star Sparks.
Race 8 – 4.45pm: COCA COLA EUROPACIFIC PARTNERS & ARCADE TRADER BENCHMARK 64 HCP, 1100m: 1 LAKE KISTORIA, 2 Dijon, 3 Concocted, 4 Prince Invincible.
