He might not have had a huge amount of joy at the barrier draw, but Clint Lundholm is still excited to take a strong team to Sunday's bumper Coonamble showcase meeting.
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Originally from Coonamble, the Dubbo-based trainer annually targets his hometown's biggest meeting of the year and has an eight-strong contingent heading to the track on Sunday.
Lundholm is the only trainer who will contest each of the three features run on Sunday - the $50,000 Picnic Championship Final (1400m), the $37,000 Crystal Sprint (1200m), and the $75,000 Coonamble Cup (1600m).
Nepenthes, Silverhawk, and Notabadidea will contest those events respectively while promising maiden The Big Seal and the in-form Hit The Rim will also be in action.
"I love going home," he said.
"I always try and target the Coonamble track and take a team up there. This year, I think we've got the right type of horses.
"Hit The Rim is firing at the right time, the new addition The Big Seal is a nice maiden, and I'm really excited to take up three feature horses.
"Notabadiea is owned in Coonamble and, I think, the right type of horse for the cup and peaking at the right time, and Silverhawk is having his first start for the stable."
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The only downside is the draw, with five of his eight hopes going from gate 11 or wider.
Both Notabadiea and Silverhawk have local connections in the ownership, making the chance to win back at Coonamble all the more special.
Notabadidea will head into the cup in strong form, having comfortably won a benchmark 58 in Dubbo before running fifth in a hot edition of The Panorama at Bathurst which was won by Kosciuszko runner Spiranac.
"I think he's really at the right spot and peaking as well," Lundholm said.
"He wants that 1600 and he'll go further as well but I've tried to keep him short and sharp.
"When he didn't sneak into the Dubbo Cup it probably worked out well. He probably wasn't hard enough anyway and we got the consolation prize when he won well with a big weight.
"I thought his run in The Panorama was terrific and he got back a bit worse than midfield and he hit the line strong when the winner was too strong."
This year, I think we've got the right type of horses.
- Clint Lundholm
Elissa Meredith, an apprentice with Lundholm in Dubbo, will take the ride on both Notabadieda and Silverhawk.
Lightly-raced seven-year-old Silverhawk will make his first start for Lundholm on Sunday.
He was set to debut earlier this year after arriving from South Australia, only for injury to force him into the paddock, but after a handy trial run at Narromine last month Lundholm is feeling optimistic.
"He had a but of a lay-off but he's come back and done well. He trialled very well ... he's done well and it's a nice race target with him," he said.
"He's got the ability but it's about keeping him in cotton well and getting him over a number of injuries.
"He's an older horse and only had 25 starts so he's obviously had them his whole career but he's come up well this preparation and we're pretty happy with where he's at."
In the Picnic Championship Final, last start Wellington winner Nepenthes earned a start despite not being one of the top 12 point-scorers on the picnic circuit in the past 12 months.
"We'd been sweating all week. I thought she'd be first emergency and would struggle to get a start," Lundeholm said.
But after Call Me Trinity, Song One, and Lucienne weren't put forward for the final Nepenthes got a start and Lundholm thinks the five-year-old is every chance of a strong run after not missing a place in her past four starts.
First start Carpe Diem, Arrivederci, and Bandahara round out the team Lundholm is hoping can build on his recent wins at Wellington, Gunnedah, and Dubbo.
"We had that period that every stable has, a bit of a dry period. But we were rebuilding and restocking the deck," Lundholm said.
"You can't keep them all going forever. We've restocked and got about 46 in work now and these horses are just about to peak, so I'm looking forward to the next few days and the next couple of months.
"I think the team should go really well."
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Nick Guthrie
I started working at the Daily Liberal in 2013 and now hold the position of senior journalist. I cover all that's happening in sport in Dubbo and the wider western area and have a passion for doing so. If you've got a story that needs telling, reach out.
I started working at the Daily Liberal in 2013 and now hold the position of senior journalist. I cover all that's happening in sport in Dubbo and the wider western area and have a passion for doing so. If you've got a story that needs telling, reach out.
