APRIL 13
By GRAEME WHITE
Big Cliff House is ready to shoot right into calculations for the Wagga Gold Cup when he contests the Kooringal Stud Murrumbidgee Cup (1800m) on Sunday.
The first day of the Wagga Gold Cup carnival also features the Kooringal Stud Town Plate (1200m) and the Asgarda Queen Of The South prelude, the Sandbar Guineas and the Finance Tycoon Super Maiden..
Cliff House has been placed in his three starts this preparation and has a brilliant Wagga record with three wins and a second from five starts.
The six-year-old ran sixth in last year’s Wagga Cup behind Fawkner Park who ranks as one of the best gallopers to win the feature in the past 20 years given what he has done since during his career.
Wagga trainer Tim Donnelly has Cliff House and County Kilkenny ready to represents the locals in two weeks time on Friday, May 2.
“County Kilkenny is qualified after winning the Albury Mile and Cliff House will gain a start on his rating,” he said.
“The 1700 metres last start in the Wellington Cup topped him off and from the good draw and with luck he is the one to beat for sure.”
Victorian apprentice jockey Nadia Daniels will ride Cliff House reducing his weight to 61 kilograms.
It puts him on the same weight as Matthew Flinders and six kilograms above the lightest weighted horses.
The booking of Daniels come about through his association with her master and his friend Pat Carey.
“We have known each other since we were stablehands. I watched Nadia ride and I thought I would need a claim for Cliff House in this race,” he said.
“Pat trains a lot of staying type horses so Nadia would have ridden a lot of them in work etc so I thought she was the ideal choice.”
This time of the year is always significant for Donnelly as he attempts to win his first Wagga Cup after many attempts and some close calls.
“I have had two seconds and a third twice and both seconds were with Devised,” he said.
“I won an Albury Cup with Polyphony back in 1991 and would love to win a Wagga Cup soon,” the 66-year-old added.
There appears to be plenty of speed with Knights Amour and Testing The Cugat both horses that have controlled races in the past.
Burgundy Girl won an important lead-up race last start and she works towards a cup start for part-owner and Murrumbidgee Turf Club director Mark Kennedy.
“It’s exciting she might make the field, but we will see how she goes Sunday. She was excellent last start and it was good to see her win again,” Kennedy said.
Experienced jockey Blaike McDougall switches to Burgundy Girl with apprentice jockey Claire Ramsbotham required for Helluva Soiree who she was successful on over 2000 metres on March 13.
Helluva Soiree has continued to excel to the delight of her connections, according to trainer Luke Pepper.
“She has been a real surprise packet. Originally, the plan was to race her on the synthetic track at Canberra over winter,” he said.
“I gave her a start and she won a couple in a row and has kept producing and now she is in with a chance of being in the Wagga Cup.
She has had a break between starts when the meeting was called off when she was due to start so the 1800 metres is ideal.@
Apprentice jockey Rebecca Bronett-Prag will ride Knights Armour after landing a career best three winners at the most recent Wagga meeting.
She has ridden Knights Armour 11 times for three wins and four placings.
