LOCAL TRAINERS OUT IN FORCE IN THE SECOND RUNNING OF THE KING OF THE MOUNTAIN

By Graham Potter | Friday, December 29, 2023

Toowoomba trainers Tony and Maddysen Sears made it a local victory when they landed the inaugural King Of The Mountain with Yellow Brick back on December 31, 2022 ... and they will be at it again when the second running of the race takes place on January 1 ... along with four other Toowoomba based trainers looking to keep the trophy at ‘home.’

Donald Baker (who saddles Legal Esprit), Corey and Kylie Geran (Mahbaby), Jim Hanna (Spinning Spirit) and Kevin Kemp (Five Oxford) will join the Sears camp’s double-pronged attack (Steady Ready and Avone) to try and repel all ‘invaders.’

That gives the Toowoomba trainers half of the twelve-horse field, so they have the numbers to, at very least, make a nuisance of themselves as they attempt to drive home their home track advantage.

Of these, Steady Ready ($12), Legal Esprit ($13) and Avone ($14) are most respected in the market as the third, fourth and fifth placed runners in the betting ... albeit someway off the two main fancies Rothfire ($1.95) and All That Pizzazz ($3.50).

Mahbaby is at $51 and, racing in real boilover territory, Five Oxford and Spinning Spirit are both quoted at $126.

Some of these runners will clearly have to achieve against the odds if they are to take out the race, but it is the old story of ‘if you have got a ticket, you have got a chance,’ or the variation of that ‘you have got to be in it to win it’ .... and, if nothing else, the Toowoomba trainers have applied that principle and are fully loaded up.

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