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By Mark Brassel

The lure of a $3 million carrot has co-trainer Sterling Alexiou sending two talented gallopers north for Friday’s $200,000 Moonee Beach Hotel Coffs Harbour Cup (1600m).

Alexiou, who trains from Rosehill with Gerald Ryan, will be represented in the Coffs Harbour Cup with Steely ($8.50 on TAB) and Cisco Bay ($31) as they seek eligibility for the $3m Big Dance at Royal Randwick in November.

First and second in the race become qualified for the Big Dance.

Cisco Bay (Robbie Dolan) wins the Big Dance Wildcard at Royal Randwick. Image by Bradley Photographers

“We don’t normally like running them against each other but it’s the right time to be targeting a $200,000 race with the chance to get into the Big Dance,” Alexiou explained.

“Both horses are probably just below the Group tier but they’ve more than paid their way [$1.5m in prizemoney between them].”

Six-year-old Steely is always around the mark with three placings from his past four starts – the only blot on his record being when sixth to Zoumon in the McKell Cup at Rosehill Gardens on June 17, after suffering from cardiac arrhythmia.

“He is fine now and seems back to his best. He is a very consistent horse, but it has been a while since he has won a race [Kembla Grange in November 2021].”

Andrew Adkins has ridden Steely in his last five starts and will be going to Coffs Harbour to continue the partnership.

Similarly, Robbie Dolan has also been on Cisco Bay the past five occasions and he will going up to ride the eight-year-old.

Cisco Bay finished a cracking third to Ucalledit in the Civic Stakes at Royal Randwick in June before down the track behind that horse in the Winter Stakes at the same course on July 8.

“He just found the track a bit too hard last time and he will appreciate any sting out of the ground at Coffs.”

The Ryan/Alexiou stable is hoping for a touch better luck with both gallopers on Big Dance Day this year.

Cisco Bay was beaten narrowly [by Rustic Steel] in last year’s Big Dance and Steely finished third [Dream Runner] in the Little Dance on the same day.

The Coffs Harbour Cup is shaping up as a strong contest with other entries including Acquitted (last start runner-up in the Winter Stakes), Attractable (dual Rosehill winner in June/July) and recent Eagle Farm winner The Ritz.

The two supporting races on Coffs Harbour Cup Day are the $50,000 Daniel Baker Showcase Sprint (1200m) and the $50,000 Ken Howard Showcase Cup (2000m).

Being a Racing NSW Country Showcase Day, total prizemoney on offer is $430,000.

Another Big Dance qualifying race is next Sunday with the running of the $50,000 Forbes Cup (1600m).

UPCOMING NSW COUNTRY RACE MEETINGS
Monday: Corowa, Wellington
Tuesday: Taree
Thursday: Moree
Friday: Coffs Harbour
Saturday: Gilgandra
Sunday: Forbes Cup (*Big Dance eligibility), Scone