Latest News

By Tony Megahey

There's every chance the stars will align again for rookie apprentice Yvette Lewis when she joins forces with Dubbo trainer Clint Lundholm, on a brilliant streak, into Tuesday’s Wellington TAB meeting.

At around the same period last season, the diminutive teenager from the notable sporting town of Tingha, made a dream professional debut, riding a winner at her very first race ride.

Apprenticed to Sue Grills at Tamworth, Yvette displayed daring and poise to lead all the way on Sue’s Hammoon Dancer. And doubtless, the accomplished regional trainer had the planning, the timing and the right type of galloper for the home track occasion.

A beaming Yvette Lewis after winning a race at Tamworth. Image by Bradley Photographers

“She’s a very capable little rider, works hard, ridden a couple of winners so lovely to see her getting opportunities,” Sue enthused of her 4kg claimer.

And Yvette won’t get a better opportunity when she rides Lundholm’s performed Joe’s Destiny ($5.50 on TAB fixed odds), one of the fastest short-course gallopers on regional tracks at Wellington on Tuesday.

“Makes it real tough when they get 63.5kg, so we just had to claim the maximum and he’s forward enough to win off two nice trials,” Clint offered with the momentum of a winning treble at the Dubbo TAB meeting on Saturday.

It took his season tally to an impressive 32 wins. The seven-race winning Power of Destiny sprinter is now attractively weighted into the Wellington KFC, $22,000, 1100m Handicap.

“Always been a jump and run natural - so he’ll suit the little girl. Yvette rode one for me at Mudgee on Sunday, gave it every hope.

"‘Joey’ races really well fresh and off those trials and the weight relief, I like to think he can win.

“But there’s a stack of race wins right through the form, some real smart handicappers.”

Joey’s Destiny has a compelling record of four wins at 1100m and is rarely led in his races. All going to plan, Clint is looking at bigger occasions with Joey’s Destiny, an early career TAB Highway winner.

“If he races the way we expect off his trials, we’ll come down for a Canterbury midweeker later this month.

“He’s just so hard to place up here with those big weights. And we can all still dream, he might still be good enough to be in contention for The Kosciuszko.”

Meanwhile, Clint has comparable levels of confidence about lightly-raced Gorn Hoff ($5) with the considerable clout of Greg Ryan into the Keirle’s Pharmacy 1700m Maiden and Class One.

“I like him, really progressive three-year-old, out to 1700m is ideal and we all know he’ll get the right ride.”

Meanwhile, Yvette’s home town Tingha is renowned for producing numerous NRL indigenous first graders, including Preston Campbell, Owen Craigie, Nathan Blacklock and Bevan French.

View the final fields with full form & race replays for Wellington here