Star of Legs star of the show at Warialda
GRAFTON jockey Jodi Worley produced the ride of the day on Saturday to win the 1400m Anipro and Coolatai Rural Supplies Warialda Cup on the Sue Grills-trained Star of Legs – but the win didn’t come without its fair share of drama at the barriers.
“It took all the barrier boys to get him in the gates to start with – he was a bit stirred up,” Worley said.
“I have to give a big shout-out to the barrier attendants because the horse may not have gone around at all if it wasn’t for them.”
Aided by a perfect ride, Star of Legs (4-1), owned at Walcha by Peter and Helen Wauch, pushed through at the top of the short Warialda straight to snatch a half-head win from 6-4 favourite Rena’s Lad with Deceitful Don (9-1) one-and-a-half lengths away third.
“He normally misses the kick but he got out good and travelled well,” Worley said.
“Coming to the corner I was well and truly pocketed in and had to push one out to get through.
“They kept me fairly tight; they weren’t going to let me out in a hurry, and he dug deep to get through the gap,” she said.
Jodi Worley returns to scale after winning the 2018 Warialda Cup on Star of Legs (Image Copyright Bill Poulos)
“It was a good win, especially with the weight he had. He’s an old horse and carried 61kg, but his form years ago was really good.
“I thought he could win the race, just as long as he did everything right,” Worley said.
Worley has enjoyed huge success at tracks across the north-west in recent weeks and Saturday’s feature comes on the back of wins at Lightning Ridge on Neville McCarthey’s Jonah Hex and Mr Malu at Narrabri for Leon Cross.
“I’m only six months out of my time and have just moved back to Grafton, but I seem to be getting my share of luck on the country circuit,” Worley said.
Star of Legs pushed between runners to win the 2018 Warialda Cup for Tamworth trainer Sue Grills and Grafton jockey Jodi Worley (Image Copyright Bill Poulos)
Star of Legs’ return to form supplied Tamworth trainer Sue Grills with her second Warialda Cup after winning the bush feature with Studio Star five years ago.
Grills, who also trained Hallucinate to win earlier in the day at Warialda, was at Wellington watching stablemate Moonlight Spy win the 1400m Thoroughbred Events Australia BM-60 Handicap while her son Todd deputised at Warialda.
“Todd said that it was a top ride as Jodi had to push out to win,” Grills said.
“When Jodi was a 4kg apprentice she won the big sprint on Ollie Vollie at Port Macquarie for me – I think it just was her first or second career win.
“Moonlight Spy won at Wellington so it’s been a great day for the stable,” she said.
Grills hopes the run continues today at Wellington, where she saddles up Arleta and Shiver Me Timbers in the 1100m One-Stop Automotive Class 1 Handicap.
“We’re going for the quinella,” she smiled.
Words and Images Copyright Bill Poulos
Related articles:
Emotions run deep as Rockatorio wins inaugural Darren Jones Memorial Warialda Sprint
Armidale’s favourite racing son Geoff Snowden honoured at Warialda Cup meeting