ON TOP: Wagga trainer Trevor Sutherland with grand campaigner Benno's Boy. Picture: Les Smith

WAGGA trainer Trevor Sutherland has kicked clear in the race for the Southern District Racing Association (SDRA) premiership heading into the final three months of the season.

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Sutherland is chasing a sixth SDRA trainer's premiership but has faced stiff competition from the powerful Euroa-based stable of David Hayes, Ben Hayes and Tom Dabernig.

The Hayes-Dabernig stable hit the front in the trainer's premiership in January, on the back of a new focus to cross the border and target races within the SDRA.

But a big month of March helped Sutherland return to the lead and he now sits four clear of the Victorian visitors.

"I'm happy with that. I reckon we lost about 20 meetings too, that they wouldn't have gone to," Sutherland said.

"I've had a pretty good year, it's been hard though because I haven't really been able to get going. I probably should be sitting on 40 or 45 wins but that's the way it goes.

"We'll be solid here to the end. It's usually my strongest time of the year. I'm still aiming for 50 wins."

Sutherland has 30 SDRA winners, four clear of Hayes-Dabernig. Albury trainer Mitch Beer sits on third with 20 wins.

In the SDRA jockey's premiership, the all-conquering Blaike McDougall is on 50 wins, nine clear of talented apprentice Tyler Schiller on 41.

Brodie Loy is next best on 30 wins.

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Brett Cavanough

ELEVEN-time SDRA premiership-winning trainer Brett Cavanough is considering a trip to the Wagga Gold Cup carnival next week.

Cavanough will nominate Another Sin and Hardspot for the $160,000 Wagga Town Plate (1200m) on Thursday week.

Another Sin won the Wellington Town Plate two starts back and has been a model of consistency this preparation, racing in a number of country feature sprints.

Hardspot, owned by Paul Crowe, has won four of his seven starts and led all the way for a strong victory at Newcastle earlier in the month.

Cavanough will nominate the pair and assess the nominations before committing to a trip.

Cavanough has been based at Scone for three years after dominating from his former Albury base for more than a decade before that.

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John Kissick

THE comeback of top jockey John Kissick remains on hold.

Kissick has submitted his application to be re-licensed and the submission now lies in the hands of Racing NSW chief executive Peter V'Landys.

Kissick had originally hoped to make his return at Canberra on Friday but has now set his sights on the Sapphire Coast meeting on May 3.

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Bennelong Dancer

A NUMBER of top SDRA horses are headed to Bathurst on Saturday.

The $80,000 Bathurst RSL Club Soldier's Saddle - Class Four Handicap (1400m) has attracted a lot of interest with 44 nominations from across the state.

Albury mare Bennelong Dancer is set to head that way after she was scratched from the Wagga Town Plate Prelude last Sunday.

The David Blundell-trained Thistledo should also get a start, with Wagga apprentice jockey Josh Richards booked to ride.

Albury trainer Mitch Beer will also head to the Bathurst meeting with three interesting runners.

Enzed Beer, formerly named Bobby Dazzler, will have his first Australian start in the Anzac Day Sprint Benchmark 66 Handicap (1200m). He was an impressive trial winner at Wagga last month.

Soomayya will also make her stable debut in the 2YO Handicap after being a late scratching at Wagga last Sunday. Think He Mei will round out Beer's trio.

Beer also has Logan River in the TAB Federal (1000m) at Canberra on Friday.

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Phil Sweeney

THE trip to Orange last Friday paid off for Jerilderie trainer Phil Sweeney.

Mr Moppett was a very impressive winner of the $27,000 2YO Showcase Handicap (1000m) at a good price too, paying $14.

Mr Moppett was having just his second race start and finishing third behind Private Agent at Wagga on debut.

He is out of Sweeney's former top race mare, Sweet Emily, and was ridden by stable apprentice Tyler Schiller.

Pleasant also ran second for the pair in the Showcase Sprint (1000m).

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Eastern Wind

ANOTHER talented two-year-old, the Gary Colvin-trained Eastern Wind, has gone to the paddock.

Eastern Wind sustained a small fracture to his sesamoid bone and has been sent to the paddock.

He had only returned for the one run this campaign at Wagga earlier in the month after competing in elite company in Sydney and Melbourne in his first preparation.

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