Provincial Championship winner to return

Provincial Championships Final winner Maryore is set to return to racing at Rosehill.

Maryore is finally poised to make her first start for emerging trainer Joe Ible after the reigning Provincial Championship winner’s comeback was delayed by a case of strangles in the stable.

Ible had hoped to run the six-year-old mare during spring after part-owner Joe Palombi showed faith in the 28-year-old by transferring Maryore from fellow Canberra trainer Philip Courtney’s small stable.

However, Ible’s operation was locked down after the contagious respiratory disease was detected.

“She was meant to run six or seven weeks ago but the stable had an outbreak of strangles,” Ible said.

The stable was quarantined for two weeks after two horses were confirmed with the infection.

Maryore last raced on the Sunshine Coast on July 1 when under Courtney’s care and she will head for another spell after lining up at Rosehill on Saturday.

“It’s been a matter of trying to get her fit again to get a run into her so she can come back and be at her best in the autumn,” Ible said.

Maryore has had three trials to hone her fitness, including a run against the in-form Cabeza De Vaca, who had five in a row until her streak ended in last weekend’s Festival Stakes.

“The form’s been very strong out of that trial and I’ve seen what I wanted to see from her in the other two,” Ible said.

Now in his second season in Canberra after originally training in Moruya, Ible said acquiring Maryore and four other horses from Palombi was a significant boost as he seeks his first metropolitan win.

“To get entrusted with a horse with that sort of form is a big vote of confidence in the stable,” he said.

Maryore has six wins from 21 starts, including the Provincial Championships final in April at Randwick.

“Maryore is the headline horse at the moment but there’s a few more coming through, the stable just keep growing in size and quality,” he said.

Ible has 16 in work and there are plans to expand his stable to handle up to 30 horses next year.