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By Doug Ryan

The potential winner of the $27,000 Wingham Cup on June 7 could emerge from a race of the same distance of 1600m at Manning Valley Race Club’s TAB meeting at Taree on Monday.

Some distance specialists and last start winners augur well for an exciting tussle in the Kennards Hire-Taree Benchmark 58 Handicap on Monday.

Two last start winners on the track, four-year-old gelding Telfer and five-year-old gelding Done Good, both trained at Wyong, add plenty of ammunition for the race.

Telfer, trained by Jeff Englebrecht, led most of the way to score by just over 1.5 lengths whereas John Cooper’s Done Good came from mid-field to win in different races over 1600m at Taree on May 11. Englebrecht said Telfer was big and strong and had recovered well from the win.

“He has early toe and should roll forward again for jockey Luke Rolls. “Once he learns to pace himself he will be a handy galloper.”

He said the owner Ian Johnson bred the gelding on his property at Freeman’s Reach and had previously a couple of slow gallopers with him. Unlike Englebrecht who is recovering from a hip operation, Telfer “handles all tracks.”

Cooper’s gallopers are firing well at the moment and obviously like the surroundings of his 56-acre property at Peats Ridge where he has stables and show jumpers. He used to live at Telegraph Point and only has taken up training racehorses in the last three years, having six in work.

Done Good will again be ridden by Grant Buckley but in the meantime, Cooper landed a win with Hay John at Port Macquarie during the week. The trainer said Done Good had “a nice run up on the fence” to score by just over a half-length from Nashian, a rival again for Muswellbrook trainer Todd Howlett and his in-form jockey Mikayla Weir.

“He won well last start and pulled up good.” Cooper owns all his horses and rides them trackwork, going to Wyong for fast hit-outs.

Howlett has had a good run with his gallopers at Taree and he and Weir are hoping for a win with five-year-old mare Nashian which used to be trained by Port’s Marc Quinn but moved closer to where the owners live.

“She won for me first-up at Tamworth and her second last start was a good run. She was doing her best work late, is easy to train and is getting better with age,” he said.

There are plenty of dangers in the race, one being five-year-old Port gelding Flying Mojo, a winner over 1630m at Grafton on May 7 for trainer Neil Godbolt.

Five-year-old gelding Thiswilldous, trained by Damien Lane, has been reserved for this race rather than one at Dubbo and it was an unlucky fourth behind Dreaming Of Gold when doing its best work over 1400m at Taree on May 11.

Newcastle trainer Paul Perry also has capable The Borough and The Outcast with their feet right on the till.

The Wingham Cup 7 June Benchmark 58 Handicap over 1000m is full of hopes but three-year-old Port gelding Bay Of Bengal, trained by Neil Godbolt, was a gallant second behind handy Nicci Trix here at Taree’s last meeting and can go one better.

The clash between last start easy winner, Taree’s Atlantic Lite, trained by Matthew Robinson, Grafton’s last start winner Flying Pretty, trained by Paul Smith, and Kempsey’s Bear The Crown, trained by Barry Ratcliff and having a promising second first-up, should be a beauty in the XXXX Gold Class 3 Handicap over 1250m.

SELECTIONS
RACE 1: BAY OF BENGAL 1, NERETVA 2, CROWNED EMPRESS 3.
RACE 2: SWINGER 1, EQUESTRIS 2, MISS TWENTY TWENTY 3.
RACE 3: LINCOLN PARK 1, SENSEI JACKIE 2, SIR BAWN 3.
RACE 4: ZARU 1, SHADES OF FRISCO 2, LATIN DAYZ 3.
RACE 5: EXCELNESS 1, SWORDSMAN 2, CHELSEA MAGIC 3.
RACE 6: TELFER 1, NASHIAN 2, DONE GOOD 3.
RACE 7: ATLANTIC LITE 1, BEAR THE CROWN 2, FLYING PRETTY 3.

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