Dale puts faith in hoop Heywood to help Al Flores break duck at Goulburn

Sydney Morning Herald

07-07-2025

Local trainer Matthew Dale will rely on jockey Nick Heywood to get promising mare Al Flores to break through with an overdue victory at Goulburn on Tuesday when she contests the GG Engineering Country Boosted Maiden Plate (1200m).
The former Ron Quinton-trained daughter of Exceed And Excel and Dixie Blossoms has had two starts since joining the Dale stable and finished second in each of them at Goulburn and Wagga. She previously finished third three times when in the care of Quinton.
Heywood was aboard Al Flores when she resumed with her second at Goulburn at the end of May, while Pierre Boudvillain took the reins when she ran second as favourite at Wagga on June 22.
Heywood and Al Flores are reunited in Tuesday's $30,000 event, while the jockey also has two other rides at the Goulburn meeting in the shape of Thoughtful for Dale in the Doyles Seafood Restaurant Benchmark 58 Handicap (1100m), and Wexford Miss for Danielle Seib in The Country Outfitters Country Boosted Benchmark 58 Handicap (1400m).
In addition to Al Flores and Thoughtful, Dale has one other runner at Goulburn with last start Wagga winner Loch Erin contesting the Laterals Accounting Benchmark 66 Handicap (1200m) with Ashley Morgan taking the ride.
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Jockey Alysha Collett has a handy book of three rides at Goulburn, starting with the Blake Ryan prepared Calgary King, which lines up in Loch Erin's event. Calgary King was placed in two Kembla Grange runs after a spell before a last start Hawkesbury flop.
Collett will also be on the Richard and Will Freedman trained Crimson Wings in the Divalls Earthmoving Maiden Handicap (1100m), while her last mount of the afternoon is the Matthew Smith runner Omaha Sand in the Kilpatrick Metal Recyclers Maiden Plate (1600m).
Crimson Wings is on debut after winning a recent trial at Canterbury. Omaha Sand has been midfield in two runs at Scone and Wyong since resuming from a spell.