FORMER Albury trainer Cheryl McNamara is back among the local training ranks.
McNamara handed in her trainer’s licence just over 12 months ago and was recently granted it back.
“Basically I had to give it away because my mother and my husband Glenn’s mother were both suffering from ill health and our main priority was to spend more time with them,” McNamara said.
“But once it’s in your blood you can’t leave and it was just a matter of when, and not if, that I would get my trainer’s licence back.”
McNamara juggles her passion for training with full-time work at Pet Stock in Lavington.
A typical day will see McNamara at the stables before 6am to work the horses for two hours.
She then heads to work before swimming the horses on her lunch break.
After work it is back to the stables to take the horses for a walk before heading home for tea.
McNamara was first granted her licence in 2008 after having stints as stable foreman for Albury trainers Brett Cavanough and Norm Loy.
She trained exclusively for prominent Border racehorse owner Mal Coulston and enjoyed success with Manettino, La Famiglia Ruby, Englobo, Verdi’s Boy and Yallah Pearl.
Manettino was McNamara’s first starter since regaining her licence at Albury’s most recent meeting on January 19.
The nine-year-old gelding almost handed McNamara a dream comeback when he hit the front 200 metres from home before being nabbed close to the finishing line.
The well-respected horsewoman presently has Manettino in work and Atlanta Rock, who is yet to debut for the stable and was previously trained by Mornington’s Ken Keys, plus a recent purchase in a two-year-old gelding out of Yallah Pearl, which will be broken in shortly.