(Rod Gallegos is a leading commentator with Sky Racing and Sky Sports Radio)

A wonderful, heart-warming aspect of racing is that both ends of the affluence scale are plumbed repeatedly.

Apropos the article last week about the potential value of well-bred yearlings, here is the absolute antithesis.

Earlier this year a little-known country trainer, Sarah Murray-Leslie, who is based at Bathurst, ventured to Sydney for a tried horse sale where, what is colloquially-known as a "dogger" was bidding to buy cheap horses up to about $350 to end their days as processed dog food.

Sarah, though, managed to outbid him with $400 for a four-year-old mare by Foreplay called Yorked which had the unimposing form of two unplaced starts at Hawkesbury and Newcastle.

Under her guidance, though, the lowly-credentialed mare rapidly improved from a first-up failure at Dubbo to win three-in-a-row at Bathurst, Mudgee and Goulburn.

For good measure she even ventured back to Sydney and Yorked ran a more than respectable race to finish fourth, beaten only a length-and-a-half at Canterbury.

Those three wins and the Sydney fourth yielded prize money of $16,880 which, in a matter of two months, is a remarkable return on that $400 outlay.

To put it in perspective, a $500,000 buy would require stake earnings of $21million to emulate the humble feats of Yorked. And as they say in the classics: "That ain't hay".

***** 

One of the mysteries of life is the apparent necessity for the irksome rule that trainers have to advise stewards about riding tactics changes.

Supposedly it is to keep punters informed.

It also conveniently advises the opposition of the planned tactics to be adopted by a jockey.

And, another thing, often a horse that intended to lead doesn't begin all that well and ends up being ridden from behind. To me it is a pointless exercise.

What was wrong with the way it used to be? The barrier stalls open, horses bounce out and it's every man (or woman) for themselves.

***** 

The Christmas Cup is the feature race at Rosehill on Saturday and it may be a suitable platform for Count Encosta to record an overdue win.

Fitter for recent racing since a spell, he put the writing on the wall a fortnight ago at Canterbury when a strong finishing fourth in the 1900 metre Underwood Cup.

Although stepping up rather steeply in distance, he has the fitness of recent racing which should have him primed for the task.

***** 

Astute Scone trainer, Greg Bennett, is making a hit-and-run attack on Brisbane racing this weekend with Charm's Honour in the Listed Mode Plate, a 1200 metre race for three-year-old fillies.

And it may be a successful mission because Charm's Honour has excellent Sydney form to recommend her with minor placings at Randwick (1200 metres) and Canterbury (1250 metres) at her latest two starts.

She looks to be a filly with plenty of potential. Jumping from an ideal gate and with the services of talented Brisbane jockey Ric McMahon, Charm's Honour will be hard to beat.