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By Tony Megahey

Port Macquarie’s Marc Quinn has worked with internationally renowned trainers and is adamant he brings the strongest form lines with three-year-old colt Cogliere for the $60,000 Class 2 TAB Highway Handicap (1400m) at Royal Randwick on Saturday.

Quinn was a foreman at Crown Lodge with John Hawkes then Peter Snowden and had a lengthy stint with Irish icon and Melbourne Cup winner Dermot Weld. Marc’s late father Pat trained for the Ingham’s before moving to Port Macquarie where Marc now trains a small team.

Cogliere, a two-year-old classic contender in Sydney last year, is rated one of the finest prospects in country racing and will be ridden by Andrew Adkins who started his apprenticeship with Quinn.

“This colt placed to the Waller’s Foxplay who won successive Group Two events, was competitive in Group One, and also that smart filly Awoke,” Quinn said.

“He’s come back super this prep, he really developed.

“We set him way back for the Mid-North-Coast leg of the Country Championships in Taree next month. Those have been fantastic for country racing.

“No disrespect to the opposition Saturday but he’s been competitive against group quality in town and this is a country class 2. What’s he’s shown and the way he’s returned suggests he’s the horse to beat. He’s earned the 59kg but he’s really well in now with Andrew’s claim. He’s riding city winners so his confidence is high.”

Cogliere (Pluck x Final Star) is second-up from a five-month spell after running fourth in a Randwick BM 70 recently.

“He had two barrier trials before coming to town, he’s won second up and 1400m is no issue.” Marc adds. “Our only concern is the travel in extremely hot weathe so it’ll be a dawn float trip from up here.”

The majority of Saturday’s acceptors are from strong northern stables. The prolific TAB Highway winning stables of Dunn, Dale and Robinson are racing elsewhere.

Cogliere will likely head the TAB Highway betting markets from Cavanough’s Al Cubana and the Northam’s L’Elu.

View the fields, form and race replays for Royal Randwick here.