Latest News

By Ray Hickson

A wiser and more mature version of Country Championships runner-up Another One will step out at Wagga on Thursday and trainer Gary Colvin is quietly confident he can do enough first-up to virtually ensure a place in The Kosciuszko.

Wagga trainer Gary Colvin.

Slots in the $1.3m country feature on TAB Everest Day aren’t guaranteed for any horse given selection is at the discretion of those who have purchased the $5 tickets and are drawn out on September 9

However, Colvin said he’d like to think a strong performance in the 000 Plumbing Services Ian Reid Sprint (1200m) would be convincing for one of the 14 lucky slot winners.

Another One was only a three-year-old when he chased Art Cadeau home at Randwick in April and Colvin is expecting the gelding to come into his own this season at four.

“I think he’s matured a lot now he’s a four-year-old, you can see he’s stronger and seems to have a bit more brains,’’ he said.

“He just did things wrong, he went to Sydney one time and we expected him to win. He was on the inside and didn’t know what to do, he seemed to want a bit of room. And he nearly got beaten at Wagga on Championship Day.”

Colvin and jockey Nick Heywood have been rapt with Another One since his cruisy second in a trial on his home track on August 8.

He’ll have no issue with a soft track for his resumption and there’s every chance a win could see him go straight into The Kosciuszko on October 16 without another run.

“I’ll see how he goes and if he goes well that could be it and I’ll just trial him,’’ Colvin said.

“We have our own pool, we can do all sorts of things with him to keep ticking over. He’s a gem to train.

“He’s come on really nicely since the trial, he’s ready to have a bit of a go. Nick says he feels terrific, he worked him the other day and said he had a handful of horse and is really rapt in him.

“Whatever he does he will improve on but I just hope his ability gets him through.”

In TAB’s all-in Kosciuszko market, Another One is a $15 chance and you’d imagine that will firm if he’s to win first-up given he was $3 favourite with TAB on Wednesday.

Colvin said he’d like to see Another One take some advantage of drawing barrier three though would be surprised if he was able to lead.

“I think the pace will be right on, we will be a bit positive because I think he’s more an on the pace runner,’’ he said.

The Wagga trainer has four runners in the $35,000 feature and while he said Mahsinger and Bravado Lass will be better for the run and need further than 1200m he’s hoping Forever Newyork can make a positive start to his campaign.

The eight-year-old is being aimed at the Magic Millions Country Cup on the Gold Coast in January, he ran fifth in the race earlier this year.

“He’s still pretty big and this run will do him a world of good,’’ Colvin said.

“He’s a horse that is pretty sound, we used to have trouble with his feet but they’re under control, we’ll poke around here for a while but we’d like another crack at the Gold Coast.”

Another One runs second in a trial at Wagga on August 8

Away from the Ian Reid, Colvin is expecting Nic’s Hero to be hard to beat in the Union Club Hotel Handicap (1200m) as he shoots for four straight wins on his home track.

Nic’s Hero won a maiden and a Benchmark 50 at Wagga to start his campaign the finished third at Narrandera before returning home on August 8 for a comfortable Benchmark 58 win.

Colvin said under normal circumstances the four-year-old would be running in a TAB Highway but a showcase race on his home track is a worthy Plan B.

“I was nearly going to take him to Sydney and I probably would have if it wasn’t such a hassle, because he deserves a crack at a Highway,’’ he said.

“But the way things are it’s a $30,000 race so he can stay home.

“He loves it here, he was wide last time and we were very positive with him and he won well. He’s a horse that has matured and he’s showing us now what he’s got.”

All the fields, form and replays for Thursday's Wagga meeting