As somebody who pushed for provincial trainers to be offered similar opportunities to their country counterparts, Theresa Bateup is rapt to see the introduction of Midway Handicap races on Saturdays.
While she didn’t have a runner in the inaugural edition last week, which was won by the Greg Hickman-trained Our Bellagio Miss, she will saddle up a contender in the second edition at Randwick.
Bateup has scratched dual acceptor Monegal from the final race due to a wide barrier and the mare will instead take her place in the Midway Handicap (1300m), which is open to eligible provincial and smaller Sydney stables.
“I was a big advocate of pushing for something for provincial trainers for a long time,” Bateup said.
“What they’ve done with the Highways and Kosciuszko and Country Championships have been fantastic (for country trainers), but as provincial trainers, we’ve been very much left out in limbo and we were losing a few horses because we weren’t eligible for races like that and we had no answer for owners.
“At least it’s something we can promote to our owners and aim our horses towards now.”
Monegal is a noted fresh horse and has won half of her six first-up runs, including at her most recent preparation when she stormed home to take out a support race at The Gong meeting in November.
Bateup says the five-year-old has come back as good as ever but admits her confidence is not as high as it had been prior to Monegal’s past two first-up performances as the mare was balloted out of a crucial barrier trial last week.
“She’s got a big heart and that will take her a long way, but I would have loved to have that trial under our belt,” Bateup said.
“If she’d had that, I would have been going there reasonably confident. I’ve just got that doubt in my mind having missed that trial.”
Monegal will carry 58.5kg after the claim of Louise Day, who will ride as an apprentice for the final time at Randwick on Saturday.
Day begins her next chapter as a senior jockey at the Hawkesbury program on Sunday.
Monegal is a $13 chance with TAB fixed odds with the David Payne-trained Bazooka, who backs up from a second to Tycoonist at Rosehill last weekend, a $3.80 favourite.
