Racing: Competitive Allpress continues to ride crest of winning wave

Lisa Allpress. Photo / Hawkes Bay Today

Maiden century-breaker Lisa Allpress is hoping to add some icing to her stellar year at Wanganui today.

Three of her five mounts are trained by former boss Kevin Gray, a diehard supporter since her apprentice days as Lisa Mumby - she married former Matamata trainer Karl Allpress in 2002.

Allpress rates all the Gray runners - I Pay, Porotene Bella and Mister Grey - as standout hopes to boost her career-best tally of 105.

They also give the Wanganui-based mother-of-two another chance to repay Gray for his part in helping her reclaim New Zealand's top female rider crown. Allpress credits Gray, along with South Island win-machine Michael Pitman and Central Districts trainer Wayne Marshment, as playing the major role in her admission to an exclusive club.

"It's all about getting on good horses and you've got to have those people who are prepared to put you on those good horses," said Allpress, who is in an unassailable fourth spot in the premiership with three days to go.

Allpress, 35, says the move back to the Central Districts at the beginning of 2008 was another key factor in re-establishing herself in the top ranks.

Fiercely competitive - she was back riding at the trials six weeks after giving birth to first son Josh - Allpress says she simply wasn't getting the calibre of mounts she felt she deserved when Matamata-based.

"I really came down here to get myself going again. I was struggling to pick up a good book of rides up north.

"I'm quite a competitive person and realised there was an opening for a lightweight rider in the Central Districts."

She answered the call with 80 victories in her Central Districts comeback last season to finish in fifth spot with her mounts collecting just over $1 million in stakes. It was her best result since the 2000/01 year when she bagged 84 wins for third on the premiership.

Allpress said she began this season planning to crack the ton, but got off to a horror start, copping a total of 13 suspension days before she'd built any traction. "I don't know what was going on; whether I was trying too hard, I don't know.

"But once I started to relax and go with the flow it turned around. You've got to enjoy it. If you're not enjoying it, there's no point in being out there."

She served another six days in June which she initially feared might have scuttled her century dreams.

But she got the momentum back in early July with three victories in two days, including the 100th aboard the Andrew Scott-trained Miss Raggedy Ann at Hastings.

"Obviously winning the premiership next would be pretty cool, but it's not something I strive to do," said Allpress. "I'm not prepared to travel five to six days a week. I couldn't put that kind of commitment into it with the kids at this stage."

Husband Karl has recently applied for his owner-trainers' licence - the couple has a Keeninsky yearling about to go into serious work - but don't expect Allpress to follow suit.

"I'm definitely not going to train. I enjoy pre-training, but it's a hard business that training."

Meanwhile, Allpress rates Mister Grey in the R70 1600m the pick of her mounts today.

She said the 5-year-old's last-start 10th at Foxton is best overlooked when assessing his chances. "Last time out, he never saw daylight the whole way and he's the sort of horse who doesn't like horses around him."