By John Schell
Big Dance eligibility goes on the line when a capacity field contests Sunday’s $80,000 Bega Cheese Bega Showcase Cup (1600m) at Sapphire Coast.
Queanbeyan trainer Nick Olive is set to play a strong hand in the feature event when he saddles up three leading chances.
Olive has pre-post equal favourite Moritz Girl (Alysha Collett-$5 on TAB) lining up against stablemates Toes In The Water (Coriah Keatings-$6.50) and Just Go Bang (Kody Nestor-$16).
Moritz Girl had been racing well in Highway grade with a fifth at Kembla Grange being followed by a Randwick second and then a win at the same track.
She then finished second in midweek company on the Kensington Track at Randwick.
“You can’t fault her form,” Olive said of Moritz Girl.
“She’s been a very consistent mare and has some solid city form to her name, albeit a few of them in Highway races.
“She’s drawn well in gate three and Alysha should give her every chance to figure from there.”
Toes In The Water finished third in the Moruya Cup two starts ago, then came out to score a strong win on the Kensington Track at her latest start.
“She did the job well to win a midweek race at her last start,” said Olive.
“Coriah has been her regular rider and she rode her very well there. She’ll need the breaks to go her way from the wide gate, but she has the talent to make an impact.”
Just Go Bang has also been racing in top form, having won the Queanbeyan Cup and Gilgandra Cup either side of a seventh in the Nowra Cup.
“He’s had the three runs back from a spell in those three cups and they’ve all been over the mile,” Olive said of Just Go Bang.
“He raced on the speed and fought on strongly to win at Gilgandra. He’s over the same trip in the Bega Cup and it’s good to have Kody aboard.”
Victorian visitor Flying Mikki is the $5 equal favourite with TAB alongside Moritz Girl. Flying Mikki is trained at Cranbourne by David Noonan and will be ridden by Shaun Guymer.
View final fields with full form & race replays for Sapphire Coast here