Talented mare Sheiz returns to racing on home soil at Moruya on Friday after a successful northern sojourn.
Trained by Mark Macdonald, the four-year-old, a Kayla Nisbet mount, tackles the Priors Bus Service Class 1 Hcp (1010m).
In late May, Macdonald and wife Tamara decided to head north for a working holiday with a team of four horses.
Sheiz ensured travelling expenses would be partly covered when produced first-up in a 1007m Taree maiden on May 29 when the daughter of Zariz scooted to a three-length win at odds of $7.50 after $9 was bet.
Macdonald backed the mare up at Grafton on June 10 in a 1200m Benchmark 50 event in which she raced without luck when finishing a half-length second to Tumblebug who was placed at Grafton on Ramornie day.
“Dale (Spriggs) got off and said she should have won by 100 yards,” Macdonald said.
“She was slow out then got shuffled back to last at the 500 metres before going around all of them and flashing home.
“It was one that got away.”
Macdonald said that since arriving home a week early due to heavy rain and flooding on the north coast, Sheiz had settled in beautifully.
“To be honest I was going to spell her but she’s done so well she can go around again,” he said.
“She’s done good.
“I mainly do long pacework with her and swim.
“She had a gallop last Tuesday week with another horse, came through well.
“She feels and looks well.”
Sheiz is a great “doer” in the stable.
“Yeah, I feed mine in the morning and I have to cut her back to half-feed sometimes otherwise she’d eat us out of house and home,” Macdonald said.
“She certainly hasn’t lightened off.”
Realising Sheiz would get plenty of weight, Macdonald booked three kilogram-claiming apprentice Nisbet, the daughter of Canberra trainer John Nisbet.
The mare will carry 56kg after Nisbet’s claim.
“It looks like that horse of Rado Boljun’s (Star Of Bardell) will lead. It’s a matter of us trying to run it down,” Macdonald said.
“Hopefully Sheiz is a good chaser.”
AAP TURF