By Graeme White
Apprentice jockey Rebecca Bronett Prag is striving to make the most of every opportunity after linking with the powerful Keith Dryden stable and the pair will combine again at Wagga on Monday with last start winner Burgundy Girl ($11 on TAB).
The Swedish apprentice recently transferred from the Matthew Smith stable in Sydney to Dryden at Canberra where she will be given her share of opportunities with her 3kg claim.
“She has a great work ethic and will get her chances. I thought she rode well at Canberra on Friday winning a race on Papaver Miner and being placed on one of my horses Trooper Knuckle,” Dryden said.
“Burgundy Girl has a good finish and likes the wet tracks and it will be fairly heavy at Wagga.”
Burgundy Girl will contest a heat of the Wagga stayers series over 2000 metres – the Lambpro Handicap - the same distance and with similar track conditions to what she faced last start.
The mare will also carry 2kg less than last start when she defeated two of her rivals on Monday, Fifi Blue and Outlaw Red.
The mare is part-owned by Murrumbidgee Turf Club director Mark Kennedy and is nearing $100,000 in earnings.
Burgundy Girl has won three of her four starts over 2000m with her only failure at the distance coming at the Wagga Cup carnival behind Just Go Bang.
The topweight Knights Amour ran a huge race first-up before finishing unplaced in Sydney and must contend with the widest barrier and top weight of 58.5kg.
Adolphus has won his past two starts over 1400 and 1650m and is the early favourite at $2.70.
Fifi Blue ($5.50) has finished in the top four at her past eight starts, while Exceedingly Hot ($5.50) fought hard to win at Albury last start to making it two wins from three career starts.
Top jockey Danny Beasley will ride Fifi Blue for the final time as he will compete at his home track before winding up his celebrated career at Wodonga later this month.
Meanwhile, trainer Ross Purcell has reservations about Mr Moppett ($4) on a heavy track heading into the Harvey Norman Wagga Winter Sprint (1000m).
Mr Moppett has won some of the region’s higher standard sprint races in recent times, but has left Purcell puzzled with other starts in Melbourne.
“He doesn’t seem to be the same horses down there, but back here he has been very good,” Purcell said.
“He has a lot of weight (62.5kg) on a wet track which is my main worry.”
The consistent Kappy’s Angel ($5) has won three of her past five starts and is dropping back from a last start victory over 1200m.
“She has been a very handy home bred horse who has won over $100,000,” trainer Gary Colvin said.
Stable apprentice Holly Durnan will be aboard Kappy’s Angel after a winning double at Narrandera on Saturday.
Experienced jockey Adrian Layt will ride one of Colvin’s other main hopes in Swift Enuff ($13). Layt has been based in Townsville in recent times.
In other racing news, premiership-winning jockey Brendan Ward will be back in the Albury region shortly after a recent stint at the Gold Coast.
View the final fields with full form & race replays for Wagga here