Toowoomba trainer Dale Groves hopes for maiden Dalby Cup

By Glenn Davis

Toowoomba trainer Dale Groves is hopeful his first runner in a Dalby Cup will be successful when bargain buy Spirit's Charm tackles the race on Saturday.

Spirit's Charm has proven to be a great money spinner for Groves, turning her $5,000 purchase as an unraced three-year-old into earnings of almost $180,000.

“She had never raced when I got for her off Steve Tregea and she’s been great for us winning almost $180,000 in prize money,” Groves said.

Groves is a full-time trainer and prepares eight horses on his 40-hectare property between Oakey and Toowoomba, on Queensland’s famous Darling Downs.

Spirit's Charm is part-owned by Groves’ wife Kristy Banks who was a popular jockey in South East Queensland before her riding career was cut short after being involved in a serious race fall in 2011.

She was paralysed from the waist down but she still maintains an active interest in racing helping Groves with office duties as well as running a spelling business on their property.

“I’ve only got Dad who helps me around the stables now but Kristy is heavily involved with a lot of the office work and her spelling business,” Groves said.

“Spirit's Charm has been great to us and I wouldn’t mind a few more like her.”

Spirit’s Charm is having her third start back from a spell and is coming off a last start third to Radiant Queen in a 1400 metre Benchmark race at Gatton on September 7.

“She can also run a trip and I’ve tried her over a bit of ground in the past,” Groves said.

“I stuffed her up a bit last preparation so I gave her a longer break than usual as she’s a big lean thing.

“Her first-up run when fourth at Gatton last month was her best ever run at the start of a preparation and her last run was good when she hit the line well.

“It was only her big weight (62kgs) which stopped her.”

Groves cut his teeth working for the late Darryl Gollan after leaving school and rode track work for him for 15 years before working alongside Toowoomba trainers Lindsay Hatch and Fred Adams.