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By Tony Megahey

Former career coal miner and Albury hobby trainer-breeder Garry Worsnop epitomises what the booming TAB Highway series continues to be.

The veteran Worsnop has just two horses in work, has never raced in Sydney and has waited half-a-lifetime for an exceptional galloper that money can’t buy. Certainly not from Garry anyway.

Down in the Riverina, good judges and numerous denied bidders agree with Garry that his giant gelding Nothin’ Like Harry will go onto bigger occasions than Saturday’s TAB $75,000, Class 3, 1500m event at Rosehill.

Early career breathtaking regional wins at $1.20 and $1.70 by the giant Nothin’ Leica Dane gelding had Worsnop’s phone running hot.

“I’ve had a dozen offers for his horse - near Lotto money some of them too,” Worsnop explains.

“I bred him, he’s like family, not for sale. Everybody knows in country racing how hard it is to get a real good horse without being a multi or having wealthy clients.

“I’ve done my time, had horses all my life, small team. I had over ten years off while I worked in the mines up in the Hunter to get a bank and lived at Maitland.

Nothin' Like Harry's first-up win at Albury on October 27

“When I came back home I bought his dam Blameless, a New Zealand mare, for just five grand at the Sydney Easter Sales.

“This gelding is a big unit, like his sire (Nothin’ Leica Dane) over 17 hands, usually can’t fit in a box, so he’s in an open yard.

“We’ll travel up Saturday morning. He’s won three for me from six now, ran a terrific third in the Wagga Guineas and earned over sixty grand.”

On Saturday Nothin’ Like Harry, second-up off a decisive Albury 1400m win, again at a prohibitive $2.00 with a massive 62kg, is attractively weighted with 58.5kg less the 2kg claim for regular rider Blaike McDougall.

Early in his career the long striding giant was excitement personified winning unextended by wide margins at $1.20 and $1.70 over 2000m at Wagga Wagga and 1600m at Albury.

And being by Nothin’ Leica Dane, Saturday’s 1500m is short of the best distance for Nothin’ Like Harry.

“It is, he won 1400m fresh but wants 1600m or out to 2000m. But if the pace is genuine, which it usually is in these Highways, he can hopefully get over the top of them,'' Worsnop said.

“But from the good draw we can still be mid-field and know he’ll be real strong late.''

Some of Garry’s Riverina mates wanted him to send Nothin’ Like Harry to the high profile Hayes stables at nearby Euroa for the finest professional stayer’s preparation and programming. Not a chance according to Garry.

“I’m hoping he’ll eventually develop into a Wagga Gold Cup or Albury Cup stayer,” Garry adds.

In early markets for Saturday, Nothin’ Like Harry is prominent behind recent competitive Highway contenders Potent Force, Carillon and Subtle Grey, recently placed in harder grade at Newcastle and Gosford.

All the fields, form and replays for Saturday's meeting at Rosehill Gardens