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By Mark Brassel

Local trainer Gary Colvin believes he has a Country Championships contender stepping out at Friday’s big Ted Ryder Cup meeting at Wagga.

Colvin should know as he prepared stable kingpin Another One to win this year’s $500,000 Country Championships Final at Royal Randwick.

Another One is entered for Friday’s $36,000 Lucas Road Sealing Ted Ryder Cup (1600m) but Colvin wanted to see how the horse pulled up having finished sixth at Flemington last Saturday.

“He’s in the race but I will wait before I decide whether he runs at Wagga,” Colvin said.

Hoping for a repeat - trainer Gary Colvin, Saranne Cooke (Racing NSW Deputy Chairperson) and Newhaven Park's John Kelly after Another One had taken out the Country Championships Final at Royal Randwick. Image by Bradley Photographers

Colvin is especially keen to see how his lightly raced mare Kappy’s Angel fares in Friday’s Batkin & Damme Smash Repairs Class 2 Handicap (1200m) from a future viewpoint.

“I believe she can progress to the Country Championships,” he declared.

“She takes a while to wind up but once she hits top gear she powers to the line.

“That’s a great sign she will eventually relish 1400m or further.”

Kappy’s Angel has only raced four times for two placings before her impressive last start Albury win over 1175m on December 10.

“She’s very strong and being a five-year-old she is just going to keep getting better.”

Another from Colvin’s team racing at Wagga is Gironde who surprised with a last start third to Halo Warrior on the Wagga Riverside Track (1200m) on December 5.

On that occasion the gelding was sent out the despised roughie of the field at $101.

“The owner loves this bloke!” Colvin disclosed. “He’s a horse that can gallop on his day and he should run well again as he had a good spell between June and October, and it seems to have done him the world of good.”

Murrumbidgee Turf Club’s Ted Ryder Cup Day is an extremely popular meeting both on-course and off-course with punters rallying before Santa Claus hits town.

“Being the Friday before Christmas, it will be a great way to kick start the extra-long weekend!” declared Jason Ferrario, MTC’s CEO.

“Everyone should give themselves the Friday afternoon off and kick start the festivities at the MTC.”

On a day offering $231,000 in prizemoney, the Ted Ryder Cup is the highlight and will be run for the 29th occasion.

The Ted Ryder Cup was firs staged in 1987 honouring a doyen of country racing journalists and racecallers.

Ted was the long-time sports editor at the Wagga Daily Advertiser newspaper and racecaller at Wagga for more than three decades having called more than 30 Wagga Gold Cups.

“The day will feature an excellent eight-race card with the first event commencing at 1:35pm and gates opening at 12:30pm, with live entertainment to keep patrons entertained between races,” said Mr Ferrario.

UPCOMING NSW COUNTRY RACE MEETINGS
Monday: Dubbo, Corowa
Tuesday: Scone
Friday: Wagga, Coonabarabran
Saturday: Tamworth
Monday-Boxing Day: Ballina, Queanbeyan (non-TAB), Wellington (non-TAB), Inverell (non-TAB), Wauchope (non-TAB), Quirindi (non-TAB), Tumut (non-TAB)