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By Tony Megahey

Intriguingly a former accomplished gymnast, newly apprenticed at a tender 38 years, provides a major punting push aboard northern galloper Ready to Humble in Friday’s rescheduled TAB Cootamundra Cup.

South African Damon Budler, after years as trackwork rider at home and then Canberra, decided to turn professional and the balance and strength of his gymnast days relates to race riding with a productive 51 wins in two seasons.

Ready to Humble (Hugh Bowman) wins at Rosehill Gardens when previously trained at Murwillumbah. Image by Bradley Photographers

In heavy conditions, Budler replaces Clayton Gallagher from the recent Coonamble Cup and claims 1.5kg off the 59.5kg on Nick Olive’s new addition in the “Coota” Twin Hills annual $29,000, 1600m feature, washed out several weeks ago.

Ready to Humble who beat The Kosciuszko winner Art Cadeau in a June TAB Highway and was desperately unlucky at Coonamble, was formerly with the profile northern Mathew Dunn stable.

With an impressive five wins from 16 starts, a treble on the Gold Coast and a Rosehill TAB Highway win, Ready to Humble is placed to perfection in the traditional Cootamundra feature.

“We’ve had success with Damon, a really strong lightweight and happy to get something with this gelding’s record - any luck he could have been in the finish in the Dubbo and Coonamble Cups,” Olive enthused.

“Harder races I reckon so he’ll give this a shake. So tough and genuine and we’ll be more forward here.

“At Dubbo he was held up, didn’t begin at Coonamble, big run and wide from near last, probably should have won.

"Clayton actually apologised but that’s racing - they all can’t ride like “J-Mac.”

Originally, Budler intended to ride at the picnics but at around the 54kg he was simply too light to accommodate their huge weight scale.

Meanwhile, the traditional Cup has attracted one of the deepest fields in years and Ready to Humble, a five-year-old Rubick gelding, has the imposing record of five wins and several placings, mostly on rain-affected.

“We got him maybe through ownership issues but I’m not going there - not my business. He’s progressed and an ideal Country Cups horse.

"His record tells you that. And his best form is give in the ground.”

Also, Black Wand, trained by Kurt Goldman who emerged with Group and Listed success as a young trainer, is ideally placed off a recent Goulburn Open Handicap win on a Heavy 8 and six career wins.

However, the chances don’t end there - Luke Pepper’s Zounique is a recent Nowra and Albury winner and has won on heavy.

At present Cootamundra is a Heavy 8 in fine weather.

View the final fields with full form & race replays for Cootamundra here