Albury preview: Winona back ‘home’ for Monday missions

One-time Sydney champion apprentice Winona Costin has answered the call for Albury trainer Donna Scott to make the trip into the New South Wales on Monday.

Jockey Winona Costin will be at Albury on Monday

One-time champion Sydney apprentice Winona Costin will be on the New South Wales side of the border on Monday with local queen, Donna Scott, calling on her services to steer her four Albury participants.

Costin, whose tally of winners not long ago reached 600, has been spending most of her time riding in Victoria.

The 2015/16 season Leading Sydney Apprentice’s first ride on the Monday card is Scott’s well-bred filly Sacred Shikoba who is yet to finish on the podium in her eight starts but looks ready and able to rise to the occasion.

“She is a three-year-old, nearly four now, but she has always shown us something,’’ Scott says. “We just need things to go the right way with her.

“Other than the Hayes’s horse (Sound of Jura), I think it is a very winnable race for her.’’

Scott will take the somewhat rare opportunity of a ‘local sprint’ to take the wrapping off Victorian-bred filly Talingas Bear who makes her debut in the Albury Wodonga Plastering Services Maiden Handicap (900m).

“She’s a two-year-old and she has done a massive job to come as far as she has,’’ Scott explained.

“And it was only that there was a 900m race and you don’t get them very often so I thought we’d give her a throw of the dice but she’ll go to the paddock after this.

“It is probably more about the experience for her and hopefully she can just take a bit out of it. It wouldn’t shock me if she won but I just don’t think she is quite ready yet.’’

Trainer Donna Scott.

Scott is slightly more bullish about the winning prospects of stablemate Imposing Tallulah in the Level One Wine Bar & Cellars Class 1 Handicap (1400m).

The daughter of Blue Diamond winner Reward For Effort has raced six times, four of them at Albury, for a win, a second and a third.

Imposing Tallluah blotted her copybook last time out, leading until late, when passed by six others including the highly-regarded Ron Stubb’s pair Cooee and He’s My Warrior.

“She over-raced a bit,” says Scott. “It was a while in between runs and she might have just set herself a little of a task.

“She is knocking on the door and deserves another win but just whenever we think we are a chance, we draw wide.

“I don’t think she has to lead and Winona will just have to make her mind up from out there and see where she goes.’’

Imposing Tallulah has genuine ‘broodmare credentials’ for when the time comes given her global pedigree.

Her dam is a High Chaparral half sister to Team, who was honoured as Horse of the Year & Champion 2YO Colt in Argentina at the turn of the Millennium.

Scott (and Costin’s) last runner on the Albury program is the All Too Hard mare Champagne Sharon whose Monday mission is the Bob Bevan Country Boosted Benchmark 58 Handicap over 1175m.

That is 175m more but at the same track as her first win at her first start under new management.

Champagne Sharon clocked in well down the order there the next time but with excuses.

“The race she won was a really, really fast run race which suited her whereas the other day was a bit slow and there were probably a couple of excuses and I am still trying to work her out.

“I think hopefully she will come on from that run and just probably ride her a little bit quieter

“If she was midfield it wouldn’t worry me and see if she can let loose late.’’

WILLIAMS HOPING FOR WINNING DEBUT

Trainer Gayna Williams is hoping her intriguing Narromine-bound galloper Zarizatycoon can turn a sad draw into a happy ending when the half-brother to her former stable gun Tags makes his much anticipated debut.

The hulking son of peerless bread-and-butter sire Zariz is scheduled to have his first start in Monday’s AG Auto Spark Country Boosted Maiden Plate over 1300m saddled with barrier 16.

“As a rule I wouldn’t run horses from wide gates like that,’’ Williams says.

“I don’t like doing it because I just think they’re behind the eight-ball for a start but the way the weather is and the situation is with races these days, you virtually have to race them when you can.

“Being a first starter, I am hoping he doesn’t make mistakes but he doesn’t seem to make too many. He is very casual but it will be interesting to see on Monday.’’

Zarizatycoon, whose 8th Dam Sou’East foaled the 1964 Melbourne Cup winner Polo Prince, was a brilliant and easy winner of his June 7 trial at home on Dubbo on a Heavy 10.

“They didn’t go that hard because it was nearly dark when the poor things trialled,’’ Williams said.

“He wasn’t pressured but the others didn’t do much either so it is a bit hard to get a guide really.’’

Williams could have as many as six runners at Narromine on Monday including Lanwar, a member of Sir Patrick Hogan’s dynastic Gay Poss family.

The son of The Brothers War was the designated eye-catcher when a closing fifth of 10 in a quick-fire 900m Maiden at Wellington on debut on May 30.

“We have liked him from the word ‘go’,’’ Williams told The Daily Telegraph.

“I was very happy with the first run. It was a bit short for him I guess, he got back out of ground but he found the line well. The 1100m will suit him better but of course he’s got a horror draw for Nick (Heywood) to deal with on Monday.”

Among Williams’ other string in action to start the week is the lightly-raced Minnewater who boasts a neat resume of three wins and three placings from her dozen appearances.

“She is not overly big but she is very genuine, “ her admiring trainer said.

“She surprised us very much first-up at Wellington. We thought she might run well, 900m being a bit short, but she found the line very well.”

Originally published as Albury preview: Winona back ‘home’ for Monday missions