Connie Greig's Deel Street will run in the $150,000 Country Classic at Rosehill
By Tom Barber (Daily Liberal) - 25 November 2022, 11.00am
Connie Greig is hoping she can become the next Dubbo trainer to take out the $150,000 TAB Country Classic on Saturday at Rosehill.
Deel Street will make the journey down to Sydney for Saturday's race representing Greig as the mare looks to continue her wonderful campaign.
has won four of her last six races, including a victory at Kembla Grange and her trainer is eager to see what she can do against a strong field at Rosehill.
"I think she is a deadset miler but we are going to have a go at the 2000m before she goes for a break," she said.
"This is perfect timing to give her a go, it's not an easy target but you've got to be in it.
"I'm going down today (Friday), she travels well and eats. She doesn't care where she is which always helps when you've got to take them away from home."
Should Greig or fellow Dubbo trainer Garry Lunn win on Saturday, it will be the second time in the last five years the winning horse has come from town after Kody Nestor was victorious in 2020.
Undoubtedly Greig's stable superstar at the moment, the trainer is confident Deel Street will produce after having to travel for her last two races.
"She travelled well to Kembla (Grange) and travelled well to Rosehill," she said.
"I don't see why she wouldn't travel well again, there should be no excuses heading into the race.
"She's drawn a wide barrier but at the same time she does go back."
Jumping out barrier 19, Greig admitted the wide draw isn't a disadvantage for Deel Street, especially in a race which is outside her regular distance.
"It's not a big deal, the opposition is really," she said.
"When they go back I'd rather them draw wide because along the rail they would just get stuck.
"Hopefully if she settles on the outside wherever that may be, we won't have that (thought of) if only she got out.
"That's the plan, she's against some very seasoned campaigners but this is where she is rated now and who she has to compete against.
"She's not out of her grade as such, it's just where she's got to be."
Having taken out the Picnic Championship in Dubbo earlier this year, Greig has opted to send several horses down to tracks like Rosehill to test them against different runners, something she believes will become more common for her.
"She (Deel Street) really has to go, I've got a couple of others who are on their way there but they've still probably got another couple of wins out here before we have to put that benchmark up," she said.
"At the moment, I had four seconds out of five races at Narromine which isn't a bad thing. The handicapper can't smash you if you don't win.
"The team as a whole are going well so I've got no complaints."
Anna Roper has ridden Deel Street in her last six starts but won't be in the saddle on Saturday, with Greig giving a simple reason as to why not.
"Anna (Roper) is not allowed to ride in town on Saturday which is the only reason she is not on her," she said.
"It's not because she was taken off for any reason, she was allowed to ride mid-week at Sydney which is why she rode at Rosehill.
"We had to put in a request for that, she's just going too well and has only been riding for six months. It's a good thing but they want to hold her back a bit which is the only reason she's not riding."
Without Roper, Julia Prestis gets the opportunity to ride Deel Street and Greig couldn't think of a more reliable replacement for the former.
"Julia is fine form, she rode her first winner in town earlier this week," she said.
"She's rode winners for me before and rode for me at Narromine, she's riding well.
"We get the three kilos to claim so we get in at 52kgs. So we will see how we go, we will be there having a go."
Lunn will also represent Dubbo in the race with Knife's Edge looking to continue his good form after wins at home and Newcastle respectively.
The trainer also has Careering Away listed as an emergency which could be added to the final field.
The race is set to jump at 3:20pm.