Nyngan's Rodney Robb knows better than most how tough conditions have been for trainers across NSW lately.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
"It's got to be the driest I've ever seen it in memory in Nyngan and I certainly wasn't born yesterday," Robb said.
He's feeling the bite of feed costs and other expenses as the drought continues to dig into people's wallets.
"It's hard for people to keep going right now, but we've just got to tighten our belts up."
But there is cause for some relief, as Robb is one of many trainers seizing the opportunity offered by Dubbo Turf Club's new Winter Country Classic series.
"They're coming up with good ideas everyday at Dubbo, I think Vince Gordon down there, I think he's a very underestimated manager myself, I think he's doing a great job."
The heats for the new series' inaugural event will take place on Monday and Robb will have two hopes in action.
"It's a good gesture those two races, they're very good ideas, we've got one in each race, they should be competitive, but they've both got a lot of weight in them," Robb said.
Those horses are Austin, who's had previous success in Dubbo and mare Blue Channel, who Robb's hoping to see make a full recovery from an injury setback.
RELATED:
Competition's shaping up to be tough for the Nyngan based racing team, but Robb and his entrants are used to it, after all, he once called Austin 'the toughest horse he'd ever trained'.
"When you go to Dubbo, you know it's going to be hard because the competition's so good."
"Austin is jumping up a class, but he's a very unpredictable horse, if he gets the race that he wants to be at his best, he's a very very goof chance - he's got a chance in every race that he starts in," Robb said of his chances.
"He's got a very good rider too."
He's also got a familiarity with and a fondness for the track, having scored a Picnic Championship win late last year.
"That'll help, Austin likes the track, he's raced well at Dubbo on three occasions."
"You see it most times in racing, they'll go well on a track sometimes, but he does race well on Dubbo."
As for Blue Channel, Robb hadn't anticipated her talking on this kind of challenge, but he's got a good feeling she'll perform on the day.
"Up until three starts back, I never thought Blue Channel would be getting this sort of class in race, she's got a very, very good mare's weight, she's coming back from injury, she gets in the race at sort of 60 kilos, she's easy to ride," Robb said.
"It's a good feel, they're good races."
"I do know my two horses, they're fit and well and I do know they'll - if they get there unhurt and everything like that and they're ready to go - they'll do well."
"I'm looking forward to the race, I'm really looking forward to it because a lot of the other trainers and racers are too."
"We've had a good season, as far as racing goes, I'm happy enough, they're making it a lot better, it'll be good for a lot of people's pockets, we're paying a lot of money for feed."
