By MATT NICHOLLS
PATIENCE is paying off for Armidale trainer Frank Tanner, who is hoping to get two wins in a row with El Timber Tegre this Saturday.
Tanner has nominated the five-year-old gelding for the Benchmark 55 White Ribbon Cup at Armidale and hopes he can sneak into the final field after 23 horses were entered on Monday.
“He’s certainly improving all the time,” Tanner said.
“Snowy (jockey Geoff Snowden) got off him the other morning and said he was going really well.”
Owned by Armidale’s Rod McPherson, El Timber Tegre has taken years to produce winning form.
He was unraced as a three-year-old and only had two trials and two race starts as a four-year-old.
This season, though, he’s come along in leaps and bounds.
The son of Timber Trader was “chopped out” at Inverell in October before returning three weeks later to win a maiden over 1200m.
Top north-west jockey Belinda Hodder was in the saddle that day and positioned the gelding perfectly in the run.
It proved a boon for McPherson and his friends and family, who were able to get the top odds from the bookmakers and on-course.
Tanner said he wasn’t sure how far El Timber Tegre would advance through the classes, but was glad to get at least one win with him.
“When he first arrived he had a real attitude … he even bit Rod,” the trainer said.
“Now he’s settled right down, so we’re hoping to get a few more wins out of him.”
Acceptances come out tomorrow for the six-race card at the Armidale Jockey Club.
Secretary Jim Dedes said the White Ribbon meeting would be an ideal family outing.
“We’ve got heaps of activities for the kids on the course, so we are hoping a few mums and dads will come along,” he said.
“Santa Claus might even make an early appearance.”
