By John Schell
The Baroness Of Bombala, Barbara Joseph, will be out to extend her Bega Cup winning streak to four straight when she combines with training partnership sons Paul and Matt Jones in Sunday’s $80,000 feature at the Sapphire Coast.
Mercurial Lad (2021), Room Number (2022) and Manderboss (2023) have won the last three Bega Cups, and the training trio will saddle up One Aye in this year’s Bega Cheese Big Dance Eligibility Bega Showcase Cup (1600m) with Jake Barrett entrusted with the ride.
“One Aye ran well in the Moruya Cup and has drawn well in barrier one,” said Joseph.
“She’s a talented mare and has won a Forbes Cup. She’s city placed and at her best she should run very well.”
The Joseph and Jones team will have Merc (Quade Krogh) and Zelago (Barrett) in the Bega Bobcats Bega Showcase Sprint (1200m)
“Zelago is handy on his day and Merc has been racing very consistently,’ Joseph said.
“It was a very good win at Cowra the other day by Merc and if he can run up to that from the outside gate then he will be hard to beat again."
I’m A Steel (Krogh) will contest the Bega Chamber Of Commerce Showcase Class 2 Handicap (1200m)
“She’s a promising filly,” said Joseph.
“Her win at Nowra at her first start was very good and then we threw her in the deep end in a Highway and she ran well enough at Rosehill. She wasn’t beaten far and this looks a nice race for her.”
Dealers Delight (Barrett) and Sooby Rose (Krogh) will line up in the 2EC & Power FM Country Boosted Showcase Maiden Handicap (1000m)
Dealers Delight is resuming from a spell on the back of a down the track effort on debut at Moruya, while Sooby Rose debuts having won a barrier trial at Queanbeyan.
The remaining Joseph and Jones runners at the Sapphire Coast will be Tolima (Krogh) in the M & R Servives Benchmark 58 Handicap (1200m), and Blood Ties (Barrett) in the Joseph Jones Racing Country Magic Benchmark 58 Showcase Handicap (1400m).
All the entries, form and replays for Sunday’s Sapphire Coast meeting