Emo Girl is a veteran of the Connie Greig stables but she will look like a green yearling when going up Dunderry at Bathurst’s Tyers Park on Friday.
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Emo Girl will making career start number 52 on Saturday but Dunderry, trained at the Bathurst track by Paul Theobald, will be going around for a 103rd time.
Both will contest Friday’s Bathurst RSL Club Benchmark 58 Handicap (1108m).
Ten-year-old Dunderry is second-up from a spell, having run a promising third last-start at his home track.
“I worried about the 1100m last start,” Theobald said of that day.
“I would have rather had the 1000m. He ended up peaking about 50m out but on that run the 1100m shouldn’t be a problem now.
“He’s tightened up and he’ll run the distance out.
“It’s a handy field but he’s pulled a good gate and there’s a two metre cutaway rail. If he runs in that first three then I’m happy, really happy.
“He’s just working the house down. I can see him being competitive.”
Greig will be hoping Emo Girl has be competitive.
The eight-year-old is much deeper into her preparation, having had seven starts since returning from a 16-week spell midway through the year.
Emo Girl hasn’t scored a win in that time and is coming off a fifth-placed finish in another benchmark 58 event at Scone last time out.
Jeff Penza will take the ride for Greig from barrier two, while Dunderry goes from gate five with Ken Dunbar again in the saddle.
As is often the case at Tyers Park, the combination of Bjorn Baker and Greg Ryan is the one to beat.
The champion jockey will ride Tony’s Reward for the Hawkesbury-based Baker, the gelding returning from a 17-week spell.
Greig’s Felicette is an emergency for the race while the Dubbo trainer also has Southern Strategy going around earlier in the day.
Southern Strategy is searching for a maiden win in career start number seven.
It marks only her second start for Greig though, having previously been trained in Victoria by Luke Oliver.
Racing at Tyers Park starts at 12.50pm on Friday with the Bathurst RSL Club event at 3.15pm.