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By Ray Hickson

Trainer Rob Potter describes Milamoo as “an old marvel” and he’s quietly confident the mare can mark her 50th race start with a big performance in Sunday’s $36,000 XXXX Gold Gundagai Cup (1800m).

Trainer Rob Potter (Pic: Bradley Photos)

Most eight-year-old mares have had a foal or two by this stage but Potter said owner, and former trainer, Mick Miladinovic has no immediate plans to retire her – especially as she’s chasing her third win from her past four starts.

Milamoo, $5 with TAB on Saturday, has had 10 starts for Potter since she resumed in November having been plucked out of her paddock and the Canberra trainer says she’s in career best touch.

“She’s a wonderful old mare, probably racing the best she ever has and as consistent as she ever has,’’ he said.

“She was out in the paddock and we brought her in, she was in beautiful order when she came out of the paddock and she just blossomed each run.

“Mick’s looked after her through her career and for an eight-year-old having 50 starts it’s not a lot a lot of racing. I’ve had a few by Zariz and the older they get the better they get.”

A feature of Milamoo’s two recent wins, split by a third at Hawkesbury, has been her sweeping winning run from the second half of the field and Potter said that style should suit Gundagai.

She has been there before, earlier in her career, for a couple of placings over shorter trips in 2019 and drops half a kilo on her last start Sapphire Coast win.

“She’ll be ridden back, you’re better off to draw out there because you just grab hold and go back behind them and tag onto something,’’ Potter said.

“You can swoop at Gundagai, a wet track is not an issue and the weight is perfect.

"They’ve got to give her a fair bit of weight on a wet track, it’s not a big field and that suits.

“You go to the races knowing she is going to put in. I’m a country trainer and you like to have a crack at Country Cups and it’s always good to go to a Cup race with a chance.

“She’s in such good form you can probably go anywhere confident you’re going to run a race. And if she doesn’t she’s ready for the paddock.”

Milamoo was a four-year-old when she made her debut in January 2019 and didn’t post her first win until her ninth start so she’s been in no hurry to do anything, possibly the secret to her longevity.

Potter said there’s every reason to think she’ll be back as a nine-year-old unless something changes through this preparation.

Milamoo wins at Sapphire Coast on March 31

“She’s had 10 runs but she’s getting better, normally you’d think they’ve had enough but she hasn’t shown it,’’ he said.

“She’s so well she’ll probably have a spell and come back.

"There are so many races around the 1600m and 1800m trip that she’ll be more than competitive in.”

All the fields, form and replays for Sunday's Gundagai Cup meeting