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By Doug Ryan

Leading Wauchope trainer Colt Prosser may be in Sydney as part of the rich The Everest race meeting at Royal Randwick on Saturday, but his thoughts will be with his string of gallopers at Wauchope Jockey Club’s meeting at home the same day.

Wauchope-owned Prince Mayted is second emergency for the $1.3million The Kosciuszko but is guaranteed a start in the $125,000 Benchmark 78 Handicap over 1000m on the same card.

“It would have been good to have Prince Mayted in the big one for country gallopers but at least he has done us proud and should run well in the 1000m race should the track be rain-affected,” he said positively.

The Mid North Coast is well represented in The Kosciuszko with three runners. They are the favourite Victorem ($3.70 with TAB fixed odds), Wauchope owner Dale Miller’s Awesome Pluck ($17), both trained by Port Macquarie’s Jenny Graham, and Fuel ($51) from the Taree stable of Wayne Wilkes.

Prosser nominated gallopers for four races at Wauchope’s Beechwood Road racecourse and has left duties at the meeting to his father, Grant, trainer Ron Broomhall and his budding apprentice jockey Georgie McDonnell. The feature Andy Neal Memorial Old Boys Cup for Benchmark 45 gallopers over 1800m has drawn an even field.

The best hopes could be Arrogant Boy, trained at Coffs Harbour by Sally Taylor, Dogoda Fury, trained at Wauchope by Broomhall and Taree’s Prince Coureuse from the stable of Tess Wilkes. Arrogant Boy two starts back was third to Zoffany’s Lad over 1600m at Taree and the winner has since put three wins together, the last at Port last week.

Dogoda Fury was sixth in the same race whereas Prince Coureuse was outclassed behind Cosmologist over 2000m in Sydney last Saturday but handles the wet well. Wauchope jockey Belinda Hodder will ride Metre Eater and Miss Mac for Prosser in other races, whereas Alpine Dragon’s start may depend on getting an apprentice to reduce its big weight.

Port jockey Peter Graham could be on the best Prosser hope in five-year-old gelding Superior Offer in the Wauchope RSL Class 1 Handicap over 1240m. The horse scored by just over five lengths last start over 1370m at Bowraville on September 22 and has been freshened for the shorter distance.

Kempsey trainer Barry Ratcliff has snapped up the services of jockey Serg Lisnyy for his two hopes, Gold Runner in the Wauchope Bicentennial BM 50 Handicap over 1000m, and Sun Peaks in the M&S Print Maiden 1240m.

“I have supported the club for 35 years with runners and have usually cracked it for a win or two,” Ratcliff said. He and the club hope for a big crowd to cheer on the Mid North Coast gallopers trying to snare some of the terrific prizemoney in Sydney, bookmakers and the TAB betting on those races.

SELECTIONS
RACE 1: Paper Talk 1, Golden Abbey 2, Wee Rascal 3.
RACE 2: Miss Mac 1, Sun Peaks 2, Alwaajid 3.
RACE 3: Superior Offer 1, All About Magic 2, Sugar Rock 3.
RACE 4: Gold Runner 1, Alpine Dragon 2, Royal Duke 3.
RACE 5: Arrogant Boy 1, Dogoda Fury 2, Prince Coureuse 3.