WAGGA PREVIEW DECEMBER 24
By GRAEME WHITE
Apprentice jockey Cassidy Hill is in the box seat to capitalise on a winning week when she partners Indispensable in the Ted Ryder Cup (1600m) at Wagga on Thursday.
Hill is in the early stages of her career and rode a first time TAB double at Wangaratta on Monday.
She had previously ridden doubles at non-TAB meetings at Balranald and Berrigan,
“It was a big moment for Cassidy to ride a double at her home track – one winner was for me and the other for Craig Widdison,” her master Craig Weeding said.
“She is riding well for a young apprentice and she knows Indispensable well having been on him in in track work plenty of times and in a jump out.”
Indispensable ($6 NSW TAB) has raced four times for Weeding and has been prominent in the Gundagai Snake Gully Cup and placed in the Tatura and Werribee Cups.
The nine-year-old’s big weight of 62 kilograms if offset to some extent with Hill’s three kilogram claim.
He will carry a similar weight to Good Prize (62.5kg) and well above the favourite Associate ($1.95) who has just 55 kilograms.
Associate ran second in the Ted Ryder Cup last year behind Baledon with the Weeding trained Prince Of Helena finishing third.
Indispensable has won over $570,000 and is looking for his first win with Weeding after being widely travelled during his 62 start career.
He commenced racing in Queensland winning at his third start in Doomben as a two-year-old before racing in Victoria for two different trainers.
Almost two years ago, he was transferred to Tasmania where he won two races at Launceston each worth $125,000.
While he is in the twilight of his career, Indispensable is still thriving and ready to win again.
“I think he is well placed with the 62 kilograms which is the same weight he carried in the Tatura Cup,” Weeding said.
“He is still a good horse for this level of racing and I would love to win for the owners who have a few horses with me.”
Meanwhile, trainer Michael Travers has fond memories of winning the Ted Ryder Cup as a jockey and will have two runners on Thursday.
He has in-form mare Mathrin ($10) and Dynamic One ($8.50) in contention.
Travers won the Ted Ryder Cup in his riding days aboard Piracy who set a record of 1.33.88 in 2004.
“He was a great horse for me Piracy and I would love to win the race again as a trainer,” he said.
“Mathrin is going great and hasn’t raced for a month as there weren’t the races around for her.
“She will go for the Cowra Cup after this which she won last year.
“Dynamic One needs to finish off a bit better than what he has been to be in the finish.”
Meanwhile, it’s not too often the names of Waterhouse-Bott, Baker and Maher appear in a maiden race at Wagga outside of carnival time but that is the case on Thursday.
The reason being there is a $100,000 Inglis bonus attached if the winner is eligible.
Earlier this year, Baker finished second and fourth behind the Terry Croft trained Zoutastic in the same race and picked up the six-figure bonus.
Chirs Waller ran third with Rach last time and was set to have another starter on Thursday, but elected to scratch Royal Air Force after it drew a wide barrier.
Baker has the favourite Pyrolysis ($2.10) who has been placed in all four of his starts and has excellent metropolitan and provincial form around some subsequent winners.
Wagga is the only meeting in New South Wales on Christmas Eve with the rail back in the true position on a good four surface.
