By Graeme White
Controversial Miss faces a step up in grade, but is right on target to deliver her third consecutive victory at Wagga on Monday.
Trainer Craig Weeding has never had the five-year-old racing in better form with consecutive victories in Victoria where she has raced on the speed and proved a class above her rivals at Pakenham and Manangatang.
Jockey Jake Duffy has been in charge in both victories where she has carried 58 and 60 kilograms and on Monday has the same weight as her last appearance.
Weeding gave the mare a freshen up in August and since then she has hit back with a trial win at Leeton followed by a close third in a Benalla trial to one of Australia’s best gallopers, Mr Brightside.
“Hopefully she can keep it going on Monday. It’s a strong enough race with a few other horses who like to race on the speed like she has been doing,” Weeding said.
Trainer Mitch Beer will have the consistent Well In Sight and the resuming Greek Tycoon as his two runners from his current base at Albury.
Beer is in the process of relocating some of his horses to another base at Kembla Grange, but will maintain his presence in Albury.
Well In Sight is another who can race on the speed and she is set to peak for Monday’s assignment, while the consistent Greek Tycoon isn’t beyond winning first-up.
Carnival Miss went out a winner at her latest start and the talented mare will resume from a suitable inside draw.
Calmer Karma is well suited on recent efforts finishing fourth at huis latest start behind sub sequent winners Vella Magic and Wilkshire.
Unique Prince has been placed at his two starts for new and current trainer Peter Morgan and is another of the winning hopes, while Shipstern adds interest to the feature race.
Shipstern won on his debut and will be fitter for one start back from a spell.
Meanwhile, Wagga trainer Wayne Carroll is confident Danceenuff can pick up from where she left off in tbe Benchmark 58 (1000m).
Danceenuff had her latest start in May where she won as favourite over Sheila who has recorded three victories since.
“She had enough at the time and she has come back a bigger and better horse,” Carroll said.
“She races well fresh and her style is to go forward and be right there.
“We will know our fate in the first 200 metres as there is a lot of speed in the race and she has drawn out a bit.
“There is no question over her fitness wise so I expect her to run well.”
Carroll has scratched stablemate Miss Elsie May from the same race, but has Nats Enough Benchmark 58 (1400m).
Nats Enough has recorded three of his four wins at Wagga with his trainer believing a softer track than the present Good 4 is more to his liking..
“He is spot on fitness wise after his last run, but my preference with him, as his record suggests, is a softer track,” Carroll said.’
Meanwhile, former leading jockey Andrew Bloomfield will start as the official starter at his first SKY 1 meeting at Wagga.
Bloomfield has started some other meetings in recent times, but this will be the first time he has started at a top level meeting.
He joins former jockey Brad Clark who is now working with the stewards and also Nick Souquet who will continue riding for several months and is assisting apprentice jockeys in a mentoring role.