Gold Coast trainer hoping for star turn from leading jockey

Nomadic Gold Coast trainer Adam Campton has called on leading Queensland jockey Ryan Maloney to target a late double strike at Thursday’s open meeting at Grafton.

Campton, who turned around a lean stretch with six winners from his past 24 runners, isn’t afraid to hunt far and wide either side of the NSW-Queensland border, having tasted success at five different venues this year already.

Top jockey Ryan Maloney.

And like several south-east Queensland-based stables, the NSW northern coastal strip is often a popular and happy hunting ground in between metropolitan raids across Brisbane.

While most of his recent success has come on the home poly-track at the Gold Coast, Campton has quietly built a handy strike rate this side of the border.

And the stable has taken aim at Grafton, with two runners who should be in the thick of the action, with Maloney aboard both.

Tough and often underrated six-year-old mare Marleedoone tackles a class 1 handicap over 1190m, deep into her prep and overdue for just a second career win ahead of her 22nd start.

It hasn’t been for the want of trying, and often without luck in many close finishes.

Incredibly, Marleedoone has placed 15 times in her career. Before a last-start flop in tougher company at Doomben, she hadn’t been out of the placings since August 2022, initially based on the NSW Far North Coast before being transferred to the Gold Coast.

Marleedoone was about $6.50 in early betting for Grafton behind both talented mare Street Smarts ($4.80), second-up for the Matthew Dunn yard, and fellow Gold Coast raider Laser Beam ($5), who is deep into his prep.

In the closer on the nine-race program, Campton and Maloney combine with progressive four-year-old mare Smile Upon A Star, who shoots for a third career win at her ninth start in a benchmark 58 handicap over 1420m.

A tough and still improving daughter of Star Turn, Campton had no hesitation bringing Smile Upon A Star back to Grafton after she made up a lot of ground from near-last in a similar race 16 days ago.

She opened about $4.80 in betting behind consistent early favourite Twilight Rock at $4.

Supplied by Racing NSWFull form and race replays available at racingnsw.com.au