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By Greg Prichard

Fay's Angels rates as the best chance of a local win in the $100,000 Sky International Taree Gold Cup on Friday and her trainer Karen Owen says the horse is ready to excel in the Manning Valley Race Club’s biggest event of the year.

“I think she is well-placed in this race and should go really well. Definitely a good chance,” Owen said.

Trainer Karen Owen (Pic: Grant Guy)

“She pulled up nicely after her run at Rosehill last Saturday and although she handles the travelling really well she only has to go 30 minutes to the racecourse this time as opposed to the long trips to Sydney, so that will help too.

“She’s a winner over the 2000 metres at Taree previously and the wet track won’t bother her, she’ll handle that fine, so we’re looking forward to the race.”

Owen trains on her property at Killawarra, near Wingham, and floats her horses to Taree to do their trackwork.

Fay's Angels was originally scheduled to run in the Port Macquarie Cup last Friday, but Owen scratched the five-year-old after she drew wide.

Instead the horse ran at Rosehill the following day and performed well as she typically does on her trips to Sydney, finishing second to the Chris Waller-trained Medatsu in a Benchmark 88 race over 2000 metres.

Fay's Angels has drawn barrier seven in the 12-horse field Gold Cup field and will be ridden by her regular jockey, the trainer’s daughter Madeline Owen.

Madeline has partnered Fay's Angels in four of her five career wins, including two of her three Sydney wins.

Karen said she had no worries about backing Fay's Angels up to race again six days after her most recent start.

“It’s all about the horse in these circumstances and she has thrived since her run at Rosehill,” she said.

“So there are no concerns there and she’s ready to perform well at Taree.

“The Gold Cup has always been on the radar for us, but it just depended how things worked out along the way.

“We were always looking at either the Port Cup or Taree and with the wide draw at Port it made Taree the target and we’ll go going there optimistic.”

Fay's Angels is solid in the market for the Gold Cup at $6 with TAB. I Am The Empire, trained by Annabel Neasham and Rob Archibald in Sydney and to be ridden by Mollie Fitzgerald, is the $2.60 favourite.

Taree trainer Wayne Wilkes has two runners in the race - Our Bambino ($9.50) and King Kikau ($31) - adding to hopes of a local win.

*** Gates open 11.30am. Bars open midday. Full TAB and bookmaker facilities. Bistro inside the Winning Post Function Centre, with the Lions Club & Habibiz catering vans. See Manning Valley Race Club Facebook page for more details. Have a great day at the Taree Gold Cup!

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