MOREE Cup winner Tavros, Inverell’s Country Championships runner-up Lisztomania, and last year’s Armidale Cup winner Ring Ahoy will represent the north-west at Randwick today in races worth hundreds of thousands of dollars.

As race-goers across Australia cheer for the big names at Flemington, Tamworth trainers Craig Martin and David Hatch chase their biggest paydays when Tavros and Ring Ahoy jump in the $750,000 Little Dance at headquarters.

At the same meeting, Inverell trainer Todd Payne saddles up Country Championships runner-up Lisztomania in the $250,000 Barn Dance.

Payne knows what it’s like to be on racing’s big stage. Lisztomania was a fast-finishing fourth in the $2 million Kosciuszko at Randwick on Everest day.

Hatch, with only a handful of horses in work at Tamworth, is back training after a 10-year hiatus.

Martin has won some of bush racing’s biggest prizes, including two Moree Cups 20 years apart, but tackling a $750,000 race at Royal Randwick is next-level, he says.

“As far as prize money goes, this is the biggest race we’ve been in, but the horse doesn’t know that,” Martin grinned.

Tavros, part-owned by former Moree resident Jenny Steepe and her husband, Kel Penfold, earned a spot in the Little Dance after placings in the Dubbo and Coonamble Cups.

Ironically, those races, including the Moree Cup in August, were never on the radar for Tavros.

“The Little Dance was never the plan, and even the Moree Cup was never the plan,” Martin said.

“The plan was always to go to Brisbane, but he was injured after his first-up run (at Tamworth in June) and had 10 weeks between runs.

“We put him in the Moree Cup first-up. He won that, and I nominated him for a mid-week race in Sydney.

“He got 59.5kg for the Sydney race so we went to Dubbo instead, and of course his second there in the cup qualified him for a crack at the Little Dance,” he said.

Tavros followed up with a fast-finishing third behind Justadeel and Lockdown Gamble in the Coonamble Cup.

“He ran super at Coonamble and Dubbo. He got back on the fence (at Coonamble) and Ben (Looker) rode for luck, and those runs got us to the Little Dance,” Martin said.

Tavros, to be ridden by Anna Roper today, will carry 52kg and has drawn well in gate six.

However, Martin would’ve preferred to be out a little wider.

“It’s a good gate for some, but I’d rather be out a little bit than get hemmed in on the fence,” Martin said.

“They’ll get along and Tavros will be at the back – worse than midfield. One off the fence would be good and then ride for luck from there.

“They race tight down there so he’ll need a luck run, but the horse is fine and he worked very good on Friday morning.

“Anna is riding well at the moment and she can ride at 52kg easily,” Martin said.

For David Hatch, winning the Little Dance with Ring Ahoy will be a real family affair.

Hatch owns Ring Ahoy in partnership with his wife Robyn, their sons Lonnie and Jason, and Lonnie’s wife, Katie.

Ring Ahoy resumed from a lengthy spell and surprised everyone when fourth at Muswellbrook over 1280m two weeks ago, beaten only half-a-length at 40-1.

Hatch then realised The Big Dance was a real possibility.

“It’ll be a big celebration if we happen to win. The only problem is, I’ve got two left feet and can’t dance too good,” he laughed.

“But racing’s a funny game – anything can happen.”

Ring Ahoy is second emergency in barrier four for the Big Dance, but assured of a start in the Little Dance, where he’s drawn off the track in 18.

Gun apprentice Siena Grima is booked to ride.

“We’re racing against good company, and it would be nice if we could swap barriers,” Hatch said.

“He’s a backmarker, so he’ll probably come across and sit next to last behind them.

“Siena has ridden the horse a few times and knows him. She gave him a peach of a ride in the Armidale Cup.”

Hatch, recently retired as a farrier, decided to get back into training after a 10-year hiatus.

“I’ve only just renewed my license, and was a bit of a hobby trainer before,” Hatch said.

“I was a full-time farrier at the time, with just a couple of horses in work.”

Hatch also worked for Tamworth trainers Wayne Brown and Ray Hartley before rejoining the training ranks. He now has a small team, including Enniroc, which starts in the TAB Highway today.

Hatch said Ring Ahoy has done everything right since resuming.

“He’s got all the ability in the world, when he wants to do it,” Hatch said.

“I gave him a bit of a chance first-up at Muswellbrook the other day because he’s been going so well (in his work).

“He had a really good spell and his work since coming back has been unreal.

“Now, he wants to do it. Before, he was going around casually. Now, he’s hitting the line.

“The other day over 1280m at Muswellbrook, I was surprised how close he was to them. He probably should’ve won. He carried 63kg and got a bad bump on the turn, but was only beaten half-a-length when fourth,” Hatch said.

Inverell trainer Todd Payne and his stable star Lisztomania know the highway to Sydney only too well.

They’ve been to the city quite a few times in the last 18 months.

Lisztomania won a TAB Highway Handicap at Randwick back in February after three Highway placings last year, and also finished second in the $1 million Country Championships Final in April, a run that started Payne thinking about the $2 million Kosciuszko on Everest day.

Lisztomania came from a mile back after jumping from barrier 14 to finish fourth behind top country gallopers Clear Thinking, Gallant Star and Chidiac, beaten less than two lengths.

“It was magnificent run – fantastic,” Payne said.

“He was a fair way back, and every time we go down there he draws an outside gate. I think 1200m in a high pressure race like the Kosciuszko had him off the bit early, so the gate didn’t really matter that much.

“But over 1300m in the Barn Dance, we were praying for a gate, and we drew 19.

“We really don’t have  a plan from that barrier. There will be plenty of speed and he’ll get back – he’s that type of horse.

“We’ve got Jason Collet booked, and he’ll give him a good ride, no doubt.

“Lisztomania loves Randwick. It’s a big, nice open track and suits horse like him that get back and get home,” Payne said.

UPDATED at 7.35am: Ring Ahoy has gained a start in the $3 million Big Dance after scratchings were declared at 7.30am today. He is now scratched from the Little Dance. The north-west now has representatives in all three feature races at Randwick today. The track is rated a Heavy 8.

Words and Images: Bill Poulos