Wayne Carroll and connections retire Lady Mironton after knee injury

Wagga trainer Wayne Carroll and connections made the decision last week after she pulled up sore from her ninth placing in the Gundagai Cup.

It means Lady Mironton will not start in the $200,000 Wagga Gold Cup (2000m) on May 7 after she had earned her place in the field with a win in the Albury Mile last month.

Carroll said the decision to retire Lady Mironton was made in the best interests of the horse.

"She pulled up sore after Gundagai," Carroll said.

"She had a knee chip operation the year before and (the surgeon) Jim Vasey said then her knees weren't pretty and some day they would catch up with her and it did.

"She didn't break down, it's just her knees weren't pretty and going forward she had to go to either Randwick or Flemington for her next run before the Cup.

"To go there and race when she's not 100 per cent and a chance of breaking down, I didn't want to do that so at the end of the day it was a no brainer to retire her."

Lady Mironton earned $168,000 for connections with six wins and eight placings from 27 starts.

Her biggest win came in this year's Albury Mile, but she also won the 2019 Stan Sadlier Stakes (1400m).

She ran second to Bennelong Dancer in the 2019 $150,000 SDRA Country Championships Qualifier at Albury, then went on to run 13^th in the final. She also ran third in the Snake Gully Cup and second in the Ted Ryder Cup that same year.

"She was just a horse that had presence around the place, and had presence around other horses as well," Carroll said.

"She raced that way too. She was always there to do the best she could and when she was good, she was a good mare."

In a further blow to the Carroll stable, the immediate racing future of promising mare Sumdeel is also in doubt.

She sustained an injury in her front foreleg from a paddock accident last Friday. A positive X-ray this week has given hope she will recover with a few months in the paddock.

"It's all about healing now and if it all works, she'll be back," Carroll said.

The two injuries leave Carroll a little light on for the Wagga carnival now, with Miss Elsie May to lead the stable's charge.

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THE Clancy family were honoured by Leeton Jockey Club on Saturday.

The club used Cup day to officially name their main bar and function area 'Clancy's Lodge'.

The decision was made in recognition of the contribution the Clancy family has made to the club and racing in general over a number of decades.

"We wanted to recognise the family's service and contribution throughout what has been so many years...a very long time," Leeton Jockey Club president Grant Fitzsimon said.

"We had a memorial plaque placed when Nerrida passed away and this has been spoken about for quite a while so we decided to do it at the Cup meeting.

"Peter and Greg were there and were really appreciative."

Peter Clancy has been a long time trainer at Leeton, and is well respected throughout the racing industry.

It was part of a successful Cup day for Leeton in their new April timeslot. Fitzsimon reported that the crowd was down slightly on previous years but is keen to build the new date.

The Andrew Dale-trained Namarari won the Cup. The club received positive feedback around the condition of the track and hope to keep it that way in case they are called upon during winter.

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THE racing industry is mourning the loss of long-time Queanbeyan trainer Neville Layt.

Layt passed away on Tuesday, aged 76, following an illness.

He was a regular visitor at Southern District tracks and trained 256 winners and 594 placegetters, with Magic Millions 2YO winner Karuta Queen his best horse.

Layt's last winner in the Southern District was Propose A Toast at Wagga in July.

Wagga trainer Chris Heywood was a good mate of Layt and described him as a 'legend'.

"An absolute legend. I was devastated to hear he passed away," Heywood said.

"He did a lot for me and did a lot for Nick (Heywood) as well. He would do anything to help you out. He was a good mate, a very good mate."

Layt is survived by his wife Barbie and son Adrian, a jockey.

His funeral will be held on Friday week, April 30, at Norwood Park Crematorium in Canberra at 1.30pm.

The Highway Handicap at Randwick on Saturday is being named in his honour and he will be represented in the race with Redicon.

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TOP Southern District jockey Brodie Loy will miss the Wagga Gold Cup carnival.

Loy picked up a careless riding suspension at Wagga on Sunday.

He was suspended from Sunday April 25 to Saturday May 8.

The suspension came after he shifted in on Il Professionale when not clear of Smokin Salmon in the Queen of the South Prelude, which resulted in the horse clipping heels.

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ALBURY jockey Jordan Mallyon will head to Randwick on Saturday for one ride.

Mallyon has picked up the ride on last start Wagga winner To The Nines in the Highway Handicap.

Mallyon has not ridden the Tash Burleigh-trained three-year-old before, who has won two of his four starts.

To The Nines has drawn gate 15.

Gundagai's Billy Owen has snared a ride in the group three Frank Packer Plate (2000m) at Randwick aboard the Neil Osborne-trained Call Me Artie.

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APPRENTICE jockey Ellen Hennessy has transferred her indentures to Kembla Grange trainer Therese Bateup.

Hennessy had been based with Joe Cleary at Queanbeyan but has made the move to Kembla Grange.

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GALLOPS

Sunday: Deniliquin (non-TAB)

Monday: Albury (TAB)

TROTS

Sunday: Coolamon (TAB)

Tuesday: Young (TAB)

DOGS

Friday: Wagga (TAB)