Latest News

By Ray Hickson

Trainer Brett Lazzarini is prepared to take in-form galloper Wild Chap on a tour of NSW to earn eligibility for the $2m Big Dance but hopes to tick that box at Dubbo on Friday.

It’s a decent hike from Kembla Grange to Dubbo for the rescheduled $100,000 Keirle’s Pharmarcy Wellington Cup (1600m) so Wild Chap arrives there on Thursday for an overnight stay at local trainer Clint Lundholm’s stable.

Lazzarini said getting into the Big Dance, run at Royal Randwick on November 1, has been Wild Chap’s aim since it was announced and he has two plans depending on the result in the Wellington Cup.

“If he’s not successful he’ll have a tilt at the South Grafton Cup, the Coffs Harbour Cup and Murwillumbah Cup,’’ he said.

“If he was to win (at Dubbo) it’d be the perfect timing for his preparation, he can have a let up and have a nice steady preparation for the November race.”

Wild Chap heads west on the back of successive heavy track wins at Canterbury in May and Lazzarini said the conditions on Friday should again suit with the nine day back-up from his latest win ideal.

Grant Buckley takes the ride with flight issues preventing Reece Jones from making the trip to continue his successful association.

Wild Chap wins at Canterbury on May 25

“His quick turnarounds are his best runs,’’ Lazzarini said.

“He always races himself fit, he usually does nothing his first few starts and it’s usually third and fourth up that he fires. He’s done the same this time.

“He backed up from Kembla to his first Canterbury win where he won by four lengths. He’s built like a greyhound, you wouldn’t think he’d do it but it suits him.

“He gets through the soft a little bit better than the very heavy, though he gets through the heavy probably better than most.”

The five-year-old hasn’t been an easy horse for Lazzarini to work out despite a consistent record as he was going through the grades but what he’s producing at the moment is an indication of his talent.

The trainer said he’s employed a few methods he learned working for Tony Wildman a number of years ago and the horse has responded.

“We’ve always known how much ability the horse has, he’s had a few little obstacles on the way but that’s no different to anything else that can gallop,’’ he said.

“We’ve been able to get the key to him through a few changes in feed and a couple of old Tony Wildman tricks and he’s going well.

“We haven’t looked back with him, he’s gone from strength to strength.”

To be eligible for the $2m Big Dance (1600m), a horse must run first or second in one of the nominated Country Cups around the state or gain exemption through a wild card race at Randwick.

The final field is determined by the benchmark rating of each eligible horse with winners of the Country Cups given preference in the ballot.

All the fields, form and replays for Friday's Dubbo meeting