BROWNS Creek dairy farmer Jake Davis is chasing his biggest win to date as a trainer-driver at Bathurst on Wednesday night when he and his stable star Studleigh Melise take on a quality field in the $100,000 TAB Regional Championship Western Final.
Named after Jake’s wife Melise, the four-year-old mare has always shown her fair share of ability winning 13 races from 47 race starts and amassing more than $98,000 in prizemoney.
The daughter of Huntsville qualified for this final after finishing third in her heat, beaten just over nine metres behind Dark Terror, who recorded a 1:58.8 mile rating for the 2260m journey.
Aware that his mare will be one of the longer-priced runners in the feature final, given that she has drawn awkwardly on the backline, Davis is not writing her off, believing that if she can get the right run off the back of some speed, she will be steaming home.
“Obviously we are going to need our fair share of luck in the race, but she is fit and healthy and ready to run her best race,” said Davis.
“There does look to be plenty of speed horses on the front line.
“So, hopefully they will clap on the pace from the outset while I will be looking to obtain a cosy run on their backs.
“If they do go hard enough, I know that she can finish off well and power home late.
“She has been a nice mare to us and it would be a massive thrill if we were to get the job done.”
The Nathan Turnbull-trained gelding Glitter Aint Gold, which will be driven by his son Jett, looks likely to start at prohibitive odds to take out the final after he demolished his rivals in his heat.
And after drawing ideally in gate four most form students believe he is the one to beat.
Turnbull sought to give his pacer an easy time in the qualifier, and he won untouched, recording a slick 1.56.4 mile rate.
Purchased mid-way through last year by clients of the Turnbull stable, Glitter Aint Gold raced at the top level throughout his three-year-old campaign and took out the Western District Derby in August, before being placed in the New South Wales Breeders Blue final, and also contesting the Group 1 Breeders Challenge final.
