Popular ex-trainer’s colours salute again

THERE was hardly a dry eye on course at Spreyton on Sunday after Needadollarbill scored an overdue win in a maiden event over 1150 metres.

The Dylan Clark-trained gelding delivered a master class to his opposition to record his first win and that turned everyone’s attention to one of the gelding’s partowners, Terry Roles, a former successful Tasmanian trainer who has been battling motor neurone disease for the past two years.

Roles was trackside to see the win and the scenes postrace were emotional, to say the least.

“Dylan (Clark) has done a marvellous job with this horse because he’s had to be patient and he had him in fantastic order for today’s race,” Roles said.

“The horse still hasn’t realised what he has to do in his races but hopefully when the penny drops, he will go on and win a few more.

“What makes this win extra special is that I trained Needadollarbill’s mother Digger’s Neptune and that the other owners have allowed the horse to run using my race colours (red, white band, royal blue sleeves and cap) is very special.”

Multiple premiership-winning jockey David Pires had a great association with Roles when he first moved to the state from Victoria as an apprentice and he was thrilled to have partnered Needadollarbill to his first win.

“Terry and I go back a long way and shared some great moments during my career and this win ranks as one of the most special,” Pires said.

Clark said the Wordsmith gelding had always shown above-average ability.

“It was great to see the horse finally win, but the day belongs to Terry (Roles),” Clark said.

It’s been a tough road for Roles’s family in recent years with his daughter Sophie diagnosed with a brain tumour that was successfully removed and last year Terry’s wife, Rosanne, was diagnosed with cancer.

“It’s been tough, especially with Rosanne having to deal with her own battle, but we are facing it all head-on and we have a great support from family and friends.”

Deloraine-based Roles was one of Tasmania’s most successful trainers and at one stage he was the only trainer using the old Deloraine racecourse as a training complex. SCOTT Brunton collected his sixth consecutive trainers’ premiership with 50 wins, but the last meeting of the season belonged to Spreyton trainer Leanne Gaffney, who snared four winners on the nineevent card.

Gaffney’s mare Elisavet got the ball rolling with victory in a maiden-class one over 1650m and she dominated the back end of the program, winning the last three races with Cranbrook, Tessie and Cabarrus that all wore the Star Thoroughbred colours.

Cranbrook and Tessie both scored impressive firstup wins while Cabarrus stepped up to a more suitable distance (1350m) and could be aimed at staying events further down the track.

Craig Newitt won his third jockeys’ premiership with 64 wins while Siggy Carr finished well to grab second with 40 wins.