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By Graeme White

If Soul Taker can capture the heat of the Rising Star Series at Wagga on Thursday it would put the icing on the cake for trainer Luke Pepper.

The Canberra-based conditioner captured the Super Maiden at Moruya on Monday which offered double prizemoney plus the winner Bengal collected his owners a $100,000 Inglis qualified bonus.

It was a total win of $122,000 at Bengal’s first start for the new stable which more than paid for his purchase price.

“It has been a big week already and I couldn’t be happier with how things are going since I moved back to Canberra after almost three years away at Scone,” he said.

Trainer Luke Pepper - has four runners entered at Wagga on Thursday. Image by Bradley Photographers

“Everyone at the stable is working hard and the horses I have racing have been put into work with the plan to hit the ground with winners when I came back

“I have had big wins as a trainer, but Monday was a highlight since I came back with the additional prizemoney.”

The Rising Star Series is restricted to apprentice jockeys and the series is so far about halfway through with this being the second heat held at Wagga.

Siena Grima presently leads on 15 ahead of Madeline Owen (11) and Mollie Fitzgerald (11).

Jessica Brookes won the earlier Wagga heat and will ride Great Week ($23 on TAB) on Thursday.

Great Week will wear blinkers for the first time – a tactic which paid off for stablemate It Is To Be when he won his maiden for his trainer Emma Murphy at Wagga on January 3.

Murphy will only have a few more starters in her own name before she starts working with her husband Pat at their Goulburn base.

“It Is To Be will start at the next Wagga meeting and I hope to have Cash Is Queen start before the end of the month,” she said. “Great Week is a chance from the good draw with the blinkers on.”

Meanwhile, Pepper is unlikely to run stablemate Lockadente in the Rising Stars with his preference being a race at Queanbeyan.

Soul Taker is rated as favourite at $3.40 on the NSW TAB ahead of last start winner Artist ($4.40) and Warpainted ($5.50). Soul Taker is due for a win after two thirds, three fourths and two fifths from her past six starts.

“It has been a bit frustrating with her. She ran a big race last time finishing off hard and hopefully with a bit of luck she can break through,” Pepper said.

Artist made the most of the inside alley to lead and win in a heat of the Rising Stars at Queanbeyan, but this time has drawn barrier 11 in the 12-horse field.

Artist beat home the luckless Vermicella which has since been successful at Moruya over the previously unbeaten Stallone.

Warpainted ($5.50) was huge winning his maiden at Corowa when seemingly no chance and back last with 250m remaining.

“It was an unbelievable win the way he finished off – I thought he was going to run nowhere,” trainer Gary Colvin said.

Jockey Nick Heywood has some fancied rides including debutant Jackpot Star ($2.30 favourite) in the opening race. The filly is a daughter of Jackpot Queen which won four races including the Wellington Boot and others at Flemington, Caulfield and on the Kensington Track.

He will also ride favourite Loch Erin ($5.50) in the final race and I Am Xtravagant ($16). Heywood has already ridden 56 winners this season to lead the NSW country premiership.

Jockey Pierre Boudvillain has climbed right up the premiership table with 13 winners from his past 50 mounts for a total of 25 this season. Boudvillain has ridden seven winners at the past two Wagga meetings.

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