TRAINER Luke Pepper has spent the last week hacking around a golf course in Las Vegas but on Sunday he will be closer to home, aiming to bag a clean sweep of the Bega Cup and Sprint at the Sapphire Coast.
Pepper saddles-up last-start Moruya Town Plate winner Hello Schumann in the Sprint, while Marquee aims to avenge his Moruya Cup defeat in the main event.
While clearly no Tiger Woods on the fairways, Pepper is one of the most prolific and astute trainers in the business. He was also an integral part of the Takeover Target fairytale having been the champion sprinter’s trackwork rider.
Pepper’s sprinter Hello Schumann will never go to Japan or Royal Ascot like Takeover Target but the Bega Sprint is certainly within his reach.
The seven-year-old son of Oratorio has won six races, including his most appearance in the Town Plate at Moruya, courtesy of his trademark barnstorming finish.
Rachel Hunt will ride Hello Schumann for Luke Pepper in the Bega Sprint. Picture: Mark EvansSource:News Corp Australia
“This is his first time racing at the Sapphire Coast but you usually get a good speed and this horse likes a good tempo,’’ Pepper said. “He should get the right run and with a kilo and a half off his back after Rachel Hunt’s claim, it looks a nice race for him.
“He has drawn a bit awkwardly, he’ll probably have to go a bit further back than last start but I don’t think that’s a worry with him, he’ll just get a suck up off the tempo and hopefully get a crack at them.’’
Before the Sprint, Pepper will saddle-up one of the main fancies, Marquee, in the Bega Cup (1600m). The gelding won the Narooma Cup on January 2 before finishing second in the Moruya Cup after drawing wide.
“The barrier did us no favours at Moruya and it was always our biggest worry,’’ Pepper said.
“He ended up getting cover but was three-wide. In the end it sort of told on him but he ran out of his skin. He won his maiden at the Sapphire Coast and this track should suit him a lot better than Moruya.
“He’s got barrier nine Sunday but gates are not so much of an issue there, especially over the mile, because they start right up at the back of the straight, so they’ve got plenty of time to work themselves out.’’
Jet ready for takeoff
FACTS and figures support trainer Jo Cleary’s assertion that War Jet is “by far and away the best horse’’ in the Bega Cup Showcase (1600m) on day two of the Sapphire Coast carnival.
The son of Breeders’ Cup Juvenile winner War Pass rates a full seven points on the benchmark ratings system ahead of his closest rival. On top of that, he has won more than $ 250,000 for connections much of which came courtesy of his victory in the 2016 Magic Millions Country Cup on the Gold Coast.
For his efforts, War Jet has been penalised with top weight of 60.5kg. He will be ridden by Noel Callow, whose feature wins include the 2005 VRC Derby on the Lee Freedman-trained Benicio.
War Jet returns to NSW after consecutive runs in Queensland. He was beaten 5½ lengths by Target In Sight in the $ 1m Magic Millions Sprint on January 2 before running sixth at Eagle Farm last start.
“He had a pretty hard couple of weeks on the Gold Coast and after Damian Browne rode him at Eagle Farm, he instructed me that the horse is looking for 1400m to a mile so I had a good yarn to jockey Callow and convinced him to come and ride him in the Bega Cup,’’ Cleary said.
Noel Callow will make the trip to Sapphire Coast to ride in the Bega Cup and Sprint. Picture: Colleen PetchSource:News Corp Australia
“I’ve poured the miles under his belt, the horse looks fantastic and he’s telling me he wants a mile. He is by far and away the best horse in the race and if there is a good speed, which there looks like there is with Tradtri in the field, then War Jet should get a nice little bit of a smother and have one crack at them.
“His last run at the 1600m was against Fabrizio at Randwick. What would Fabrizio do to these horses? He’s had a good base, he’s had a jump-out and the three 1200m runs so there are no excuses from my end, he carries weight well and is just a class galloper.’’
Cleary hopes to claim the Bega Sprint (1200m) with the Encosta de Lago gelding El Toronado who finished a half-length second in the Moruya Town Plate at his most recent outing to main rival Hello Schumann.
“Noel (Callow) will go forward on El Toronado,’’ Cleary said. “He rides him well, he won on him on Forbes Cup day and again at Queanbeyan when he carried 65kgs. The horse runs well for him. The horse is busting to win a race, he deserves to win a race and if there is one horse of the program that I’d like to see get over the line it is definitely El Toronado,’’ Cleary said.
SHAYNE O’CASS’S BEST BETS
SAPPHIRE COAST SHOWCASE
BEST BET: NAGGING (Race 5, No. 2)
Will find this assignment easier than her last-start fifth in the Narooma Cup where she was beaten 2.2 lengths by Marquee, who will start one of the main fancies in the Bega Cup. Nagging has a little touch of quality about her and has been building up to a win.
NEXT BEST: PRYING (Race 4, No. 7)
A cleverly named son of a mare named Sticky Beak and a half relation to his stablemate D’Beak, who can definitely gallop. This fellow was beaten a nose on debut and while he could only manage sixth of 10 next time, he was last at the 800m and closed off quite well over the 1200m, so the 1400m is ideal now.
MAGIC MARE: YAMA MAGIC (Race 1, No. 5)
Can hopefully kickstart the day for punters with a win in the opening race. This Terry Robinson-trained Magic Albert daughter has solid numbers at the track and the distance having won two of her past four starts and was runner-up at another. Honest type.
SUGGESTED BET
Box trifecta — Race 6, Nos. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
Box trifecta — Race 7, Nos. 1, 3, 4, 6
JOCKEY TO FOLLOW: NOEL CALLOW
Stands a real chance of claiming the big Bega Cup/Bega Sprint double riding the Jo Cleary pair War Jet (Cup) and El Toronado (Sprint).
MUDGEE
Ray Hickson
TRAINER Clint Lundholm has such an opinion of ex-SA galloper Dreadlock he’s adamant he would be a force in the Country Championships. But the lightly raced four-year-old isn’t eligible for the series as he hasn’t been housed in NSW long enough.
So it’s a case of what might have been if Dreadlock takes out the Country Championships Preview (1400m) at Mudgee on Sunday.
“We got him the middle of October so we missed out by about five weeks,’’ Lundholm said. “It’s a shame, he’d have a few people worried if he was in it. He’s not a bad horse.’’
Dreadlock was formerly trained by Tony McEvoy and was narrowly beaten at his first NSW start at Gilgandra on New Year’s Day before romping away at Wagga on January 17.
Lundholm said a Highway race in Sydney is a likely target if he continues to race well though the Dubbo Cup later this year is also on the drawing board.
The trainer has engaged Dubbo apprentice Chris Williams to take 3kg off the gelding’s back and give him a chance to roll along in front.
“That was the idea to put young Chris on him, let him slide forward and give him a bit of a weight advantage,’’ he said. “He’s only a Class 2 horse in a Class 4 race and has 61kg. He’s an easy horse to ride and Chris is a good up and coming apprentice.’’
Lundholm’s Country Championship contender Sippety Sip faces his moment of truth in the Club Mudgee Handicap (1100m) after two recent failures.
After an eye-catching third when resuming the four-year-old has failed to live up to expectation and the trainer puts that down to the wet tracks.
“He’s been a touch disappointing this time, the big plus is Greg Ryan is back aboard,’’he said. “This run will be his grand final trial before the Championships so we’ll know where he’s at.’’
Lundholm also debuts a three-year-old son of Power Of Destiny, the sire of summer Cups King Destiny’s Kiss, when Carinda Road runs in the Federal Hotel Plate (1200m).
“His trial was surprising, he missed the kick and was last over a half mile but he was given a couple of slaps on the neck and he ran third,’’ Lundholm said.
SHAYNE O’CASS’S BEST BETS
MUDGEE
BEST BET: BLOOD RED MOON (Race 7, No. 3)
Rounded out her last preparation with a very good fourth in the Gunnedah Cup and that was after some terrific efforts in very strong company; in fact, she was beaten only 3.7 lengths by Clearly Innocent in a Championship Heat at Scone. Has won first-up and has a huge finish on her. Gets way back here but will hit the line.
NEXT BEST: SNIPEX ABAA (Race 2, No. 10)
Is a stablemate to Blood Red Moon and a horse of some potential. He is ‘324’ at his only three runs thus far and trainer Geoff O’Brien seems to have found the ideal race for the horse to shed his maiden status.
