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By Tony Megahey

An intriguing mix of a Japanese international equestrian, riding school coach and battling race trainer with a last start winner, is a notion at big odds into the Lismore TAB meeting on Sunday on rain affected.

Daiki Chujo with a small team at Ballina is outnumbered by the bigger northern stables but his lightly raced mare Into the Zone resumes off a Grafton Maiden win in May and off a recent trial there, while stablemate Bright The Sun is on debut after recent trials at the Gold Coast and Grafton.

Both are outsiders but with upside in a weather watch on a day where the Kris Lees and Team Neasham and Archibald start winners from their satellite Gold Coast and Eagle Farm stables.

They’ll be major players as will the powerful Dunn stable from Murwillumbah with favoured runners.

But Daiki is positive enough: “If it’s heavy an unknown, but Into The Zone was strong winning her maiden on a soft 7 at 1400m and trialled well enough to be competitive from a good gate,” Daiki offers.

“She was strong at 1400m so 1300m might be in her favour on wet track and the upside is there. The worst going is unknown for most of the field.”

Into The Zone a lightly raced five-year-old Eurozone protege has 59.5kg for Luke Rolls in a PJ’s Fruit&Veg BM 58 (F &M’s) 1310m. Luke rode her in the trial.

“She was bred by David Daniel, a committeeman of the race club here, he’s been a great supporter since I based at Ballina, so hoping she’ll be competitive.”

Bright the Sun contests a Lismore Paint Centre Super Mdn Plate (1410m) for Daiki’s compatriot and friend Nozi Tomazama. “A lovely big, strong Star Witness filly, trialled OK might need further but she’s always shown ability.”

Major focus will be the second event where the Lees impressive last start Gold Coast maiden winner Enterprise Private opposes the Neasham-Archibald Ipswich maiden winner Mr Tadashi.

Daiki came from virtually nothing. Leaving Japan at 16, speaking little English and little money, he worked in Europe and England and often slept in stables.

Eventually he rode in international eventing for Japan, came to Australia, qualified to race ride, worked in north Queensland, then for Kris Lees and Paul Perry in Newcastle.

Before moving to the North Coast and taking out a training licence in 2016 and forming his Ballina riding school “Japanoz”.

However, it’s been a tough going for the father of three with 48 winners in seven seasons, most lengthy odds. Again, the scenario on Sunday.

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