LOCAL trainer Neil Godbolt will mount a three-pronged attack on the $50,000 Carlton Mid Queen Of The North (1200m) at Port Macquarie tomorrow – and one of his three runners is Al Nova, the winner of the race last year.
A field of 15 has accepted for the race with Hawkesbury trainer Terry Croft to start Catseye Surprise, an impressive Gosford winner at her last start while the Darren Smith-trained Idle Chat has drawn perfectly in barrier three.
Apart from Al Nova, Godbolt will also start California Rain and Dinky Mink.
“Al Nova is the best of my three chances and while she has been racing well this is a tough field,” Godbolt said.
Newcastle jockey Alison Threadwell, who ride Al Nova when she won last year’s Queen Of The North, is back aboard.
Idle Chat is likely to start favourite on the strength of her last start second at Canterbury behind Stolen Kisses.
Prior to that she was an impressive winner at Gosford in fast time and she has the services of Robert Thompson, fast closing on his 4000th winner which will create an Australian record no jockey is ever likely to break.
The meeting has drawn 110 acceptors across eight races with the first to start at 1.20pm.
Apart from the Queen Of The North a lot of interest will centre on the unbeaten Magic Merle in the final race, the Pure Blonde Class Two (1200m).
The Brett Bellamy trained three-year-old, which he and his wife bred, has beenan impressive winner at her only two starts at Coffs Harbour and Port Macquarie.
She has drawn barrier nine in a capacity field of 14 but has the pace to overcome that disadvantage and take up a forward position.
