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By Doug Ryan

Twice Melbourne Cup-winning jockey Corey Brown could add the Wingham Services Club Wingham Cup and one named after himself to his trophies at Manning Valley Race Club’s eight-race TAB meeting at Taree on Friday.

He and local top trainer Ross Stitt combine with Cash Spinner in the $27,000 Wingham Cup over 1600m and he has the plum ride on Gosford mare Maui Princess in the same club sponsored Corey Brown Cup over 1300m.

The former Wingham apprentice jockey has an added reason to win races at the meeting with seven rides as it would provide an early celebration among local friends for his 43rd birthday on June 15. He has picked up some good possible winning rides in his endeavours to turn placings at last year’s meeting into wins.

Seven-year-old mare Cash Spinner’s form of late for the Wingham Cup is not flattering but there are positive signs of a return to form on the track where she kicked off her nine-win career at Taree on 6 June 2014, at her first start for local owner Gary Rollings.

She is no stranger to the Bushland Drive Racecourse at Taree where she has had three of her wins, one of them being in the Krambach Cup over 1610m in 2016 before next start scoring a win in the Kempsey Cup over 1450m.

The mare also won the MacLean Cup over 1400m in July next year but has been dogged by hoof problems since.

She returned to Taree from Grafton to be treated by an expert on hoof issues and her run for Stitt for a just under a three-length sixth to I Wear Prada over 1400m on May 13 gave connections hope she was back in business.

“She has had two starts for me and her last run was good even though short of her best,” Stitt said.

“She has had a lot of hoof problems and she came back to Taree where the local farrier has been on top of her problems. Any sting out of the ground will help,” he said.

Looming large as a danger is five-year-old gelding Subtle Grey, trained by Wayne Wilkes, a winner twice and runner-up twice in six tries at the track.

The galloper won in April over 1420m at Grafton and Wilkes has engaged 1.5kg-claiming apprentice rider Louise Day who “knows him inside and out and won on him mostly.”

“He likes the track and likes to bowl out front.”

Other hopes in the cup are six-year-old gelding Cool And Neat, trained at Scone by Rodney Northam, which was second over 1600m in the Gooree Cup at Mudgee last start and is to be ridden by Robert Thompson and Newcastle gelding Marathon, trained by Paul Perry and to be ridden by back with a bang jockey Aaron Bullock, which has two wins at the track from four starts.

Gosford trainer Angela Davies may be in Queensland looking for new racehorses but she believes four-year-old mare Maui Princess is ready to show her best, after two unlucky runs of late, for Brown in the race named after him.

“Corey needs to win, he’s got no money,” she said jokingly of her chances.

Gosford trainer Adam Duggan is very happy to have Melbourne-based jockey Michael Walker on three-year-old gelding Bill ‘N’ Ted which has been in fine form but is stepping up to 1300m for the first time.

Other top hopes could be first-starter Big Parade, trained in Sydney by Clare Cunningham and to be ridden by Brown in the Taree Gold Cup Carnival 16/18 Aug 2YO Handicap over 1250m, and Akamin for Taree trainer Matthew Robinson in the Dennis Bridge Painting And Decorating Benchmark 66 Handicap over 1000m, up against Brown on Classy Anna and Glyn Schofield on resuming Gumshoe in an exciting race.

SELECTIONS
RACE 1: Big Parade 1, Controlthewitness 2, Dodecanese 3.
RACE 2: Zaniah 1, Two Big Fari 2, Peaches Dream 3.
RACE 3: Free Verse 1, Little Funny Bunny 2, Totten 3.
RACE 4: Luddenham Lass 1, Artefiori 2, True Finesse 3.
RACE 5: Akamin 1, Gumshoe 2, Classy Anna 3.
RACE 6: Maui Princess 1, Bill ‘N’Ted 2, Mick The Hat 3.
RACE 7: Cash Spinner 1, Subtle Grey 2, Cool And Neat 3.
RACE 8: Ultimate Power 1, The Crimson Idol 2, Marawaka 3.

View the final fields with full form & race replays for Taree here