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By Julieanne Horsman

Albury trainer Natalie Loy and her jockey son Brodie notched their first winner together at Gundagai, and they could celebrate their last at the same track.

Natalie suffered an injury which makes stable work impossible so she is handing the reigns to her husband, Norm.

She will saddle up the final two runners in her name at Gundagai tomorrow and Brodie has the task of getting the best out of both. “I’d love to see Natalie go out with a win,” Norm Loy said. “Although then there’s the pressure on me to try and do it again!”

Bonnie’s Marley resumes in the Hahn Super Dry Class 1 Handicap (1000m) and has been allocated equal topweight of 59kg.

The four-year-old mare drops back in class and Norm Loy says she is in great shape.

“She’s been working well, has fresh legs and is ready to go,” he said.

“She had a long preparation last time and by the end she had simply had enough.

“I think she is a great chance but Homebird is pretty handy.”

Hoodless will have his first start for the Loy stable in the Hahn Premium Light CG&E Benchmark 55 Handicap (1180m) and if he wins the family will have Brodie to thank in more ways than one.

Brodie was aboard a rival who dead heated with Hoodless at Sapphire Coast earlier in the year and had always thought the horse had ability so when overheard the owners talking about selling, he piped up.

“He knew I was looking for a horse to race with my best mate so he approached them and said I think Dad might like to buy this horse from you,” Norm Loy said.

Hoodless has a record of one win and two places from six starts and the form around him is good.

At his last start in a 1100m Class 3 at Nowra he finished less than half a length second to My Maher, who remains unbeaten after four starts.

His career hasn’t been without issue though. He was slapped with an embargo at the end of April after failing to load. “We took him to Wagga for a trial at the end of May and he was fractious in the barrier then too so when we returned a week later I just took him into the gates and sat on him in there,” Norm Loy said.

“He was fired up for about ten minutes but I was patting him and talking to him and he calmed down and went on to have a nice trial after that.

“Brodie put a couple around his tail and he found the line nicely and won the trial.”

Hoodless has drawn ideally in barrier 3 and Norm is confident 58.5kg won’t be a problem.

“He’s a big strong boy and should carry the weight well,” he said. “He pulled up well from his trial and won’t mind if the track is wet. The wetter the better.”

Norm has been involved in horses for his whole life. He became an apprentice jockey in his teens and a trainer afterwards. He gave up training seven years ago but couldn’t resist returning for another crack at it.

View the fields and form (including race replays) for tomorrow's Gundagai meeting here