By Mark Brassel
There are now 10 horses into the Country Championships Final at Royal Randwick following the qualifying heats run at Grafton, Goulburn, Dubbo, Taree and Scone.
Unbeaten local galloper Caerless Choice has firmed from $15 to $8 to win the Country Championships Final after winning a very close heat at Scone on Sunday.
“The runner-up Nic’s Vendetta denied a late betting drift to all but win Sunday’s heat with the gelding firming from $51 to $15 for the Final,” TAB’s Glenn Munsie said.
Perfect Dare and Pumpkin Pie remain the $4.60 favourites after they qualified for the Final, on April 1 at Randwick, last month. There are three more heats remaining at Wellington this Sunday, Albury on March 19 and Muswellbrook on March 26.
Left: Bourke galloper Stoneyrise - could complete a fairytale by winning the Country Championships Final. Image by - Janian McMillan
Perfect Dare and Free Standing were first to go in after running 1-2 at Grafton, before Pumpkin Pie and Steel Frost ran the quinella at Goulburn. Stoneyrise and La La Loopsy (Dubbo) and Cogliere and Shotgun Roulette (Taree) followed. However, La La Loopsy has now been withdrawn due to injury. Not For Export will take her place.
Check out the latest in the - 2017 TAB Editors' Challenge
Wellington hosts the next Country Championships Qualifier this Sunday (12th March) with an excellent Showcase program.
View the Wellington Country Championships/Showcase program here
TAB.com.au prices - Country Championships Final $4.60
Perfect Dare, Pumpkin Pie $8 Caerless Choice $11
Cogliere $15
All Summer Long, Nic's Vendetta, Shotgun Roulette, Steel Frost $26 Stoneyrise $51 Free Standing $101 Not For Export