Cavanough finished a brilliant season with a victory at the final SDRA meeting at Wagga last Friday to take his tally to 48 wins in the area for the season.

It also returned Cavanough to the top after Wagga trainer Trevor Sutherland claimed the title for the past two seasons.

Cavanough finished 17 clear of Chris Heywood and Sutherland, who share second with 31 wins each.

Gary Colvin and Brad Witt rounded on the top five.

Cavanough said Sutherland's challenge in recent times proved the motivation he needed.

"I've found a bit of energy," Cavanough said.

"The previous years I got a bit of a tune up and I was starting to get lazy.

"You've got to work hard if you want to win one and we got back there pretty quickly."

Cavanough said the signs are good for next season already.

"The horses are still coming in the gates so we might win number 11," he said.

"When you're training winners they keep coming in the gate and when you're losing they stop coming in.

"I can only assume Cavanough Racing is in for a prosperous 2014-15 season."

Brendan Ward claimed his third SDRA jockey's premiership.

Ward finished with 37 wins to finish eight clear of Victorian Jake Duffy.

Duffy finished with 29 wins, with the injured Nick Souquet and Albury jockey Simon Miller sharing third with 25 wins.

Richard Bensley, who has enjoyed 67 winners in total for the season, was next on 24 SDRA wins, with Wagga apprentice Nick Heywood also on 24.

Heywood claimed the apprentice's title in his first full season.

The SDRA awards night is set for Friday November 21.

The Horse of the Year will be announced on the night, along with the Racing Personality of the Year.

SDRA is also looking to introduce a number of new award categories for the night.

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STEWARDS will carry out an inspection of the Gundagai track today.

The Gundagai-Adelong Racing Club is set to host the first Southern District meeting of the new season on Sunday.

The track is rated a heavy 10 and Southern District chief steward John Davidson and deputy Troy Vassallo will carry out an inspection at 10am today.

The club received 157 nominations for the seven-race card.

The Benchmark 60 Handicap (1180m) will see the likes of Road Fox, Maniere, King Tides In and McGovern clash.

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ANDREW Fitzgerald would have been looking down with a smile as Brilliant Meteor scored on debut at Newcastle on Saturday.

The late Murrumbidgee Turf Club (MTC) director and keen racegoer passed away tragically in June this year.

Fitzgerald is good mates with trainer David Pfieffer, who purchased three Northern Meteor colts from a yearling sale a couple of years ago.

Fitgerald picked out one, Brilliant Meteor, and bought in along with his father Michael and best mate Brad Louis.

After much hype originally, hope gradually dwindled.

He trialled a couple of times only to finish near last. The colt was gelded but still showed very little.

So there was no confidence ahead of his debut at Newcastle last Saturday.

The rest is now history as Brilliant Meteor scored an impressive 1½ length victory on debut at $15.00 in the 1400-metre maiden.

The win came with mixed emotions for Wagga's Michael Fitzgerald.

"It's just a shame Andrew wasn't here to enjoy it," he said.

"Andrew loved Northern Meteor and picked the horse out.

"I think the horse had two jockeys on Saturday. He had Jay Ford on and also Andrew getting him home."

The win surprised connections, who have been very patient with the three-year-old.

Brilliant Meteor will start at Newcastle again on Saturday week.

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STAYING mare Jo Jo Girl captured Horse of the Year honours at Wagga this season.

The meeting at Murrumbidgee Turf Club last Friday wrapped up the Wagga premierships for the 2013-14 season.

Jo Jo Girl won four races at the track but it was her four placings that sealed the win.

The Tim Donnelly-trained mare edged out Texan Son and Ketchum, who also finished on four wins but did not accumulate as many placings.

Wagga trainer Chris Heywood capped off an outstanding season to take the trainer's premiership with 17 wins, in front of Gary Colvin.

Brendan Ward also finished with 17 wins to take the jockey's premiership.

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SOUTHERN District reigning Horse of the Year, Living On A Prayer, has transferred stables to John Morrisey at Gold Coast.

The Queensland campaign paid off when Living On A Prayer captured the $75,000 Cleveland Bay Open Handicap (1200m) at Townsville on Saturday.

The horse has now been transferred from Terry Butts to Morrisey.

He will have a couple of starts with Morrisey before returning to the Dave Heywood stable.

Living On A Prayer will spell then return for a third crack at the Wagga Town Plate.

Saturday's win took Living On A Prayer's career earnings to $173,985.

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WAGGA-owned mare Numbers will tackle metropolitan company for the first time today.

Numbers, trained at Kembla Grange by Mick Tubman, will contest the $40,000 Benchmark 74 Fillies & Mares Handicap (1600m) at Warwick Farm.

Numbers has won two of her past four starts and is a lightly-race mare on the up.

She is owned by Wagga's Phil Gannon, Jenny Rheinberger and Robbie Garrett.

Numbers is drawn nicely and drops significantly in weight with apprentice Winona Costin in the saddle.

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SOUTHERN District jockey Michael Heagney is no stranger to travelling across the country.

Heagney has ridden across Australia and will this week travel to Roxby Downs in South Australia to ride on Saturday.

Heagney, who has been in good form of late, is riding at the Roxby Downs Cup meeting.

Roxby Downs is a 1348 kilometres trip, via either a seven hour flight, or almost 15-hour car trip.

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TWO new Southern District trainers enjoyed their first runners over the past week.

Former top jockey Nick Ryan, now based at Albury, had his first runner at Wagga on Friday when Motion Of Power finished down the track in the final event.

Ryan also had Purrplexed run at Wodonga on Sunday when eighth behind Special Quality in the Benchmark 58 Handicap (1300m).

New Wagga trainer Todd Smart had his first runner with For Mia at Wodonga on Sunday.

For Mia finished sixth, beaten five lengths, behind Charnzel in the Benchmark 64 Handicap (1100m).

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LEADING trainer Brett Cavanough will look to start the new season with a bang on Saturday.

Cavanough has nominated talented duo Prince Pedro and Corsica Lad for both Moonee Valley and Rosehill on Saturday.

Prince Pedro is nominated for a Benchmark 80 Handicap (1350m) at Rosehill and a Benchmark 90 Handicap (1200m) at Moonee Valley.

Corsica Lad is entered in a Benchmark 75 Handicap (1100m) at Rosehill and an Open Handicap (1000m) at Moonee Valley where the in-form Lord Of The Sky is due to start.

Cavanough said Prince Pedro is most likely to head to Rosehill, while Corsica Lad is set for a couple of weeks off.

Berrigan trainer Emma Steel also has It's Poets Day entered for both Moonee Valley and Rosehill on Saturday.

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What's On

Racing

Sunday: Gundagai (TAB)

Harness Racing

Friday: Young (TAB)

Saturday: Albury (TAB)

SDRA Premiership

2013-14 final standings

Trainers

Brett Cavanough 48

Chris Heywood 31

Trevor Sutherland 31

Gary Colvin 21

Brad Witt 19

Jockeys

Brendan Ward 37

Jake Duffy 29

Simon Miller 25

Nick Souquet 25

Richard Bensley 24

Nick Heywood (a) 24