Trainer hoping for triple treat on Sapphire Coast

GOULBURN trainer Tash Burleigh will make the four-hour trek to the Sapphire Coast today with three horses and she’s not going down there to run out of the money with them.

“They’re all going well enough to warrant taking them down there because it’s a fair old hike,” she said.

Territorial kicks off Burleigh’s tilt in a Benchmark 66 Handicap (1208m) and he brought up his first win since December 2017 at Canberra last start.

There’s a simple reason for his turnaround in form.

“He had a little bit of knee surgery and I think he’s a more confident horse now. He’s not feeling any pain and has realised that so is racing better,” Burleigh said.

He’ll be ridden by leading rider Blaike McDougall once again after he picked up the ride on the five-year-old last start when a ride he was committed to was scratched.

He’ll jump from the widest barrier in the eight-horse field and will look to get cover.

“Blaike is a great rider and I’ve always tried to get him. He’ll probably put him in a forward position and get him to settle and be there at the finish,” Burleigh said.

Anges is a horse Burleigh really wants to secure a win with and she races in a Maiden Plate (1608m). Famed owner Nick Moraitis sent the unraced Husson mare to Burleigh and it’s the first horse she’s saddled up for the owner of Might And Power.

Napoli is the horse that’s frustrated Burleigh the most.

The Snitzel five-year-old is searching for his fourth win at start 18 in a Class 3 Handicap (1608m) but that record could be so much better than that. If he brings his A-game he could easily win this race.

“He was a colt for too long and only puts in when he wants to,” Burleigh said.