Netballers too.

But what about horse trainers?

For Kembla horseman Kerry Parker, his 2017 decider comes in the form of the Provincial Championships Final (1400m). 

The affable trainer will have two runners, Heavenly Anna and Virgilio, in the $390,000 feature at Royal Randwick on Saturday after both horses qualified for the elite provincial race with placings in the series’ heats last month.

“It gives you that boost like you say good job, now you’re into the next one,” Parker said of the results in the qualifiers.

“It is like winning a semi final when you are playing footy or any sport.

“You can get the lead up and get your ticket into the grand final.

“We have ended up with two legs into the grand final so anything can happen.”

Parker reckons both of his runners go into their final run ‘over the odds’.

Heavenly Anna ($26) is the stable’s leading hope according to the markets after finishing runner-up behind race favourite Pomelo in Wyong’s transferred qualifier at Rosehill Gardens on March 18.

“She is one that I targetted at the Provincial Championships a long way out,” Parker said.

“When she was in work last prep I tipped her out with the purpose to bring her back to aim for this series so that has been a good result to get her qualified.

“I think her heat is most likely the form line, although it was probably the wettest track.”

Virgilio is a $51 outsider in the final, but Parker insists he isn’t without a hope. 

The three-year-old ran a gutsy third in Kembla’s transferred qualifier on a bottomless Goulburn track on March 23 to book his spot in the elite final field.

“I am tipping he will have improvement in him from that run,” Parker said.

“He also jumps and puts himself in the running.

“The other side of that is he is probably bad weighted in the race.”

Parker is one of four Kembla stables with at least one runner in the final, with Michelle Ritchie, Gwenda Markwell and Robert and Luke Price also in the running.

“If I am not winning it, I definitely hope it comes home to Kembla,” Parker said.

“It is good advertisement for the place, for owners to give us horses to trainer here when they might give it to city trainers. It is a fantastic leg up for all the provincial trainers.”

The Provincial Championships final is the fourth event on the card and jumps at 1.20pm.

Noble Joey

Trainer: Robert and Luke Price

Jockey: Kathy O’Hara

TAB Odds: $16

Better Not Blue

Trainer: Michelle Ritchie

Jockey: Josh Parr

TAB Odds: $10

Budderoo Knight

Trainer: Robert and Luke Price

Jockey: James Doyle

TAB Odds: $35

Virgilio

Trainer: Kerry Parker

Jockey: Corey Brown

TAB Odds: $51

Pomelo

Trainer: Gwenda Markwell

Jockey: Chad Lever

TAB Odds: $2.40

Heavenly Anna

Trainer: Kerry Parker

Jockey: Jay Ford

TAB Odds: $26