Family affair in prestigious series

THE name Chapple appears in three of the five heats of Sunday’s Multiquip Golden Guitar which is part of the Tamworth’s January racing carnival.

Dean Chapple will lead the charge followed by his son, Jack, and daughter, Elly, while his wife, Julie, will be in the stables helping out.

Training at Moonbi, just outside of Tamworth, Dean will contest the first head with Asterism from the six barrier.

Jack will then contest the third with Standandeliver while Elly will contest the fourth with Nor Westa.

“All three of us are heading into the heats with a bit of a confidence boost,” Elly said.

“Jack has got a drive and after driving a winner at Bathurst last week for Bernie Hewitt that will be such a confidence boost for him and then

Dad finished third in the Gold Nugget with Despondent.”

For Elly, who is shares her time between Newcastle where she attends University and Tamworth to compete on the track, she will enjoy the confidence of a last start winner in Nor Westa, which scored in Tamworth last Tuesday night.

“I am very excited to be competing in the heats and hopefully the final,” Elly said. “The Golden Guitar is a race I have aspired to be a part of so to be in it is great and the little mare is going good.

“I thought she went super and she likes to race with cover so I was happy with where we were placed in the run.”

After leading from the two barrier Chapple was happy to take a trail behind Sports Cadet.

Chapple commenced her run with Nor Westa from the 400-metre mark to complete a two-metre win over Sports Cadet, with and I’m Boo two metres away third.

“I was confident she would get the job done as she is a super little mare,” Elly said. “She has been racing well but just under the radar.

“It was a nice race to win on Tuesday as we were wearing black arm bands for the late Pam Verning and she was a close family friend and Spud helps us out with the horses as well”

Nor Westa has drawn barrier six.

“She is a versatile race mare so we will make the best of what we are given in the barrier draw,” Chapple said.

“It would be nice to be in the Final. The horse that Dad is driving was in last year’s Final, so hopefully we can have another crack at the big race.”

• JULIE MAUGHAN