Spriggs And Meech Kick Clear In Title Race With Finish In Sights

Newcastle Herald

Monday July 14, 2008

By GEOFF WILSON

LINDA Meech and Dale Spriggs appear to be fighting out a two-horse race for the Newcastle jockey's title coming into the home straight after Saturday's penultimate meeting of the season.

Spriggs and Meech are equal leaders on 12 wins with the final meeting to be staged on Saturday week, and both will be hoping to make up for disappointments in last season's race.

Last campaign Meech finish second, just one win behind Christian Reith who won the title with 15 victories.

Spriggs, who had an interrupted season, finished in equal third with Grant Buckley and Mitchell Bell on 13.

Spriggs moved into the joint lead with a winning double on Saturday.

He started the day with Tale Of The Storm in the three-year-old maiden over 900 metres and made it two when Miss Bulawayo won the next race, a three-year-old fillies maiden over 900m.

Meech went into the day with a one-win lead and kept her role as a frontrunner when she won on Miss Fanatik in the fillies and mares maiden over 1300m.

Euro Chic, which started the easing $2.70 favourite, pulled up lame after finishing sixth and connections told stewards she would be spelled immediately.

Shane Treweek, who has 10 wins, missed his chance to get into the frontrunning action when he was not well enough to ride on Saturday.

Champion Newcastle rider Allan Robinson could be the wildcard in the race for the title.

Robinson is three behind the leaders on nine. He was under suspension after being found guilty of careless riding at Taree this month and did not ride on Saturday but is now back in action.

Trainer Brett Partelle, who prepared Tale Of The Storm, said Spriggs's ride on his winner proved why he is in the race for the title.

"Dale gave my horse the perfect ride that is why you put the top jockeys on," he said.

Tale Of The Storm was a $160,000 purchase at the Magic Millions sale.

"I bought Tale Of The Storm as a package of eight for one of my owners," Partelle said. "I picked four and John O'Shea picked four and when it came to divvy up the horses it was decided that he got Tale Of The Storm.

"He also liked the horse but unfortunately the horse just did not settle into the hustle and bustle of the city environment.

"It was decided to switch Tale Of The Storm to me where he could be trained with beach work and a quieter lifestyle at Wyong.

"That was my first go with the horse, and he showed in his win he has a future."

© 2008 Newcastle Herald

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