SUNDAY MARCH 30
By GRAEME WHITE
Apprentice jockey Jessica Brookes has a near perfect record on Great Week as they aim for four straight wins at Wagga on Sunday in a heat of the Wagga Stayers Series (1800m).
Brookes has ridden Great Week four times for three wins and a second for trainer Pat Murphy who is looking to win one of the feature races prior to one of the biggest moments of his training career,
Murphy has Sass ‘N’ Cheek in contention for the $1 million Evergreen Turf Australia Country Championships final at Randwick on Saturday, April 5.
He has also engaged the services of champion jockey Zac Purton for the ride – the pair having a long standing relationship from their early days.
“I was best man at Zac’s wedding and its’s a big thrill to have him riding Sass ‘N ‘ Cheek on such a big day of racing,” he said.
“As for Great Week, you couldn’t ask him to be going any better. If any horse wins three straight they are going pretty well.”
Brookes claim will reduce Great Week’s weight to 57 kilograms and the young apprentice has done everything asked of her to deliver on the in-form galloper.
Philadelphia Storm won his latest start at Albury to record his first win in several starts for trainer Gary Colvin.
It was also his first win for three years and three months with his previous at Flemington in December of 2021.
Burgundy Girl looks ideally placed to break through coming way back kin grade from the Canberra Cup and prelude.
Ashau Valley has the right distance and track distance to also figure while Star Buyer is a winner over 1600 metres and ran second at his latest start in the Towong Cup.
Meanwhile, Gundy Guy takes a perfect record into the Jupiter Motors Benchmark 82 (1400m).
Gundy Guy has had three starts at Wagga for as many victories and is right at his peak following three starts back from a spell including a last start sixth behind Asgarda in the Albury City Hcp.
Arthur The Great ran a strong fourth in the SDRA Country Championships qualifier behind Canny Hell, Burrandana and stablemate Villasaurus.
It has been a frustrating time for trainer Donna Scott and the connections of Arthur The Great and Villasaurus.
Both were due to start in the southern wildcard at Goulburn last Sunday, but due to a breakdown were unable to make it to the track on time.
“It was a bad week with what happened as Villasaurus was also to go around on cup day at Albury and they were called off after the rain,” Scott said.
“He will trial at Wagga on Sunday then start in a Sydney Highway.
“I expect Arthur The Great to run well given how he went in the Wildcard and the form from the race is stacking up pretty well.”
The interesting runner is topweight The Big Short who will be having his first start for trainer Olivia Osborne.
The galloper hasn’t raced for 13 months, but was placed at two of his final three starts in Sydney when trained by Chris Waller. Scott will also have Daze Off contesting the Reece Group Wagga Benchmark 66 (1000m) where she will come up against the progressive Warpainted
