Days don’t get much better for a trainer than last Thursday for someone like Tanya Parry. The Julia Creek trainer had a career-best day, producing four winners on the TAB program in front of a national audience.

“I’ve had four on a card before but not at a TAB meeting,” Parry said after the last race. “I’ve had four out of five at a non-TAB meeting but the prize money here makes this better.”

Parry has the biggest stable in the North West and travels far and wide to get a winner.

She got her first on Thursday in the third when Miss Bouchard was a runaway winner of the Maiden Plate over 1200m.

It was the filly’s first start for Parry, having transferred from Tom Button.

“I was just rapt with her run today. She’s only a baby,” the trainer said.

Miss Bouchard started at $8.50 but wasn’t even the longest priced winner Parry had.

Veteran gelding Louie The Legend ($26) turned back the clock with an impressive win in the Class 6 Plate, knocking off odds-on favourite Le Force ($1.55), who ran third.

“He was on the quick back-up from Richmond where he ran well so I thought he’d be competitive,” Parry said of Louie.

“He needed that run and the horse is a lovely old gentleman. “I’m so glad for (jockey) Greg Walters that he got up and won.”

Dan Ballard rode Parry’s two other winners.

The heavyweight jockey was on struggle street after fasting to get his weight down, but produced the goods in a tight finish in the last race on the day aboard $3.60 second favourite Gumnuts.

Ballard and Denicious Smith went head-to-head down the straight, however the local hoop prevailed by a nose in a tense photo finish.

“I was expecting Gumnuts to run well because Olivia (Cairns) always has them spot on,” Parry said of the Mackay trainer who sent Gumnuts to her stable.

“He looks absolutely beautiful and he ran well.”

Ballard’s other winner was on the seasoned mare Myola Milly ($3.50), who beat stablemate All At Sea ($11).

“It’s nice to get a rewarding day like that,” Parry said.

“You travel a lot and do the hard yards so it’s great to pick up some nice prizemoney on a TAB day.

“It makes it all worth it.”

Not one to rest, Parry was back on the road on Saturday, taking 10 horses to Prairie.

However, her luck ran out as the best the stable could produce was a second placing in the Cup.

Keith Ballard gave Keep On Loving You ($2.60) every chance but it was no match for Eroe ($4).

This article appeared in North West Weekly, 18 August 2022.