Rodney Bailey has enjoyed his most successful season in more than a decade and is hoping the wins can continue with his two runners at Wyong on Sunday.
Bailey, a veteran trainer of more than 30 years, maintains a small stable of around 10 at his Wyong base and bagged seven winners from 65 runners, and a further 14 placegetters.
Two of his 2023/24 winners Norton Road ($13 on TAB) and Mr Bingo ($26) line up for Bailey on Sunday, Norton Road in the inaugural Domeland Kulnura Cup.
Norton Road (Anna Roper) in winning form at Wyong. Image by Bradley Photographers
The Stratum Star gelding, a $7500 yearling purchase by Bailey, burst onto the scene in January this year with two successive wins at Wyong and Newcastle.
His recent form hasn’t been as strong, but Bailey said there are excuses.
“He’s still got the ability, but things haven’t been going his way,” he said. “It’s been a combination of things, he’s been over racing and the heavy tracks haven’t suited.
“He hasn’t had a lot of luck either and I made the mistake of putting winkers on him, which didn’t suit.”
But Bailey expects the five-year-old to put in one of his best performances in the 1300m BM68,
“We’ll ride him forward again, which will suit at Wyong, and I expect him to race really well.”
Bailey also has strong expectations of Mr Bingo in the 1000m Midway BM64.
The six-year-old son of Deep Field has won two of his 25 starts with eight minor placings.
Despite finishing at the rear of the field over 1000m at Queanbeyan last start, Bailey thinks he can figure in the finish on Sunday.
“Like Norton Road there have been excuses, he’s played up in the barriers a few times which hasn’t helped. He loves Wyong and I think he’ll go well. I’d say both mine are strong each way chances.”
Kim Waugh saddles up two home track runners, having already kick started her local Wyong Trainers Premiership defence with a Hawkesbury win on Thursday.
In an outstanding training effort, Waugh claimed the title for the seventh successive season after training 40 winners in the past 12 months.
She was also runner-up in the Wyong Trainers Premiership, falling one short to Snowden Racing who trained 11 winners on the track.
Tyler Schiller claimed the Jockeys Premiership with 11 wins, while Zac Lloyd’s ten wins saw him take out the Apprentices title. The first of eight races gets underway at midday.
– Racing NSW
