Racing: Dalgety, Anderson in race for title

Cran Dalgety
Cran Dalgety
West Melton conditioner Cran Dalgety needs just one more starter to be eligible to claim the leading winter trainers' title at Forbury Park this season.

A win by debutante Margarita on Thursday night moved Dalgety ahead of Graeme Anderson on the table. The table is based on the trainer's strike rate with a minimum of 24 starters between April 10 and July 17.

Dalgety's victory with the 2yr-old filly on Thursday night moved him to 10 wins from 23 starts, with two seconds and three thirds for a UDR (universal driver rating) of .5266.

However, if he sends a horse south on July 17 and he fails to place, Anderson - who has trained 11 winners from 29 starts with seven seconds - will claim the title with a strike rate of .5134.

The winner receives one tonne of horse feed from Pryde's Easifeed.

Oamaru trainer Phil Williamson sits in third place with 10 wins from 29 starters, but even three wins from three starters on the final night would not be enough to catch Anderson, who is unlikely to line up any horses on July 17.

The result is slightly more clear-cut in the Forbury Park club's two other competitions.

Samantha Ottley has one hand - and most of the second hand - on the Roger Kingsland Memorial trophy for women drivers.

Ottley has collected four wins at Forbury Park - and one at the club's dual-code meeting at Wingatui - along with 11 seconds and five thirds over the season, giving her 42 points for the season based on a 3-2-1 allocation.

She is 20 points clear of Kirstin Barclay, with Kimberly Butt in third on 20 points.

Al Raza is also unable to be beaten in the Forbury Park fillies and mares' competition.

The Geoff and Jude Knight-trained filly has won her last four starts - all at Forbury Park. Those four wins, along with a third placing when trained by Bill Keeler, gives her 21 points, on a 5-3-1 points allocation.

The Jonny Cox and Amber Hoffman-trained Shya is six points back on 15 points.

Al Raza's connections will receive $500 cash from the Washington VC Syndicate, which stands the stallion at Bryleigh Stud near Gore.

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