But the Berrigan-based horse trainer of eight years is making the most of the sport and enjoying the small but significant freedoms horse racing has been granted in NSW.
‘‘I’m so grateful that things have still been going ahead — more or less — during COVID,’’ said MeyerVale.
‘‘And it’s important that it does.
‘‘Racing is a massive boost to the economy, and if it’s not happening, that affects everyone from the farmers producing feed, to bridle makers.’’
MeyerVale, who has earned 19 wins across her career to date, said lockdowns in urban NSW have seen rural TAB meetings inundated with bigger trainers, who don’t typically attend such meets because the prizemoney is lower.
Between less opportunity in central NSW for trainers, and a recent increase in prizemoney, regional club meetings have become a magnet for desperate urban talent.
‘‘We’ve seen more horses at these meets, and a tougher level of competition from the bigger trainers,’’ she said.
‘‘Before they’d probably think it wasn’t worth their time, but now they’ll come out because circumstances have changed.’’
Though fierce, the new competition hasn’t impeded MeyerVale, who got her start at Adelaide’s Morphettville and who has 390 starts under her belt.
Her biggest win to date was with bay gelding Esprit Warrior, who beat Revel in the Chaos in the $17,500 Maiden Plate at Geelong Synthetic on April 26, 2013.
More recently, MeyerVale gained ground with unlikely ticket Momma Smash.
Owned by M R Smith, Momma Smash won the Class 2 Handicap (1150m) in a close finish at Leeton last month.
The September 27 TAB 2 Leeton race was the highest level Momma Smash had ever competed at.
The five year-old mare was sired by stallion Statue of Liberty out of the dam She Commands.
‘‘When we first got her she looked nothing like a racehorse,’’ said MeyerVale.
‘‘I must admit when we first had her jumping barriers we had a bit of a giggle because she was quite heavy.’’
But ‘‘bit by bit’’ Momma Smash improved.
‘‘Once she was a lot more educated and had matured, she ended up mastering the art of the jump,’’ MeyerVale said.
MeyerVale made the decision to step Momma Smash up to a full TAB meeting ‘‘just to see if she could do it’’.
Jockey Bradley Vale – MeyerVale’s husband of 19 years — rode her to take home the $12,280 in the R7 Class 2 Handicap with a sectional 600m time of 34.06s, and a race time of 1.07.35 minutes.
Second place went to three year-old chestnut gelding Sir Finn, from New Zealand’s Sapphire Coast track.
‘‘I knew if we took it slowly, let her mature a little bit and put her in the right places then she’d get results,’’ MeyerVale said.
‘‘And in the end she stuck her nose out just that little bit more and took home the race.’’
Momma Smash has won three races in her career, including a $15,000 Narrandera ex-Servicemen’s Club Maiden Plate in August.
She also won the September 11 Griffith R4 Elders Benchmark BM50 Handicap, beating out Doug Gorrel’s Exaggerate.
Momma Smash is nominated for this Friday’s Echuca R5 BM58 Handicap, where she will again race against Sir Finn.
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