3 minute read
It may sound strange to some that trainer Nick Olive rated last year’s Gundagai Snake Gully Cup victory with Ready To Humble as one of the most satisfying of his career.
If you understand the background behind the victory then it becomes clearer as Nick Olive had always harboured a desire to win the feature despite taking out and contesting some of the biggest races on the Australian racing calendar.
"I have had the favourite a fair few times and finished second too many times to remember so to win last year meant a lot to me," he said.
Olive will be back again on Friday with the same horse, the same jockey in Jeff Penza and with only 1kg more weight to carry at 56kg.
Ready To Humble ($9 on TAB) is coming off a last start sixth in the $2 million The Big Dance at Randwick over 1600m when he was beaten only fourth and a half lengths by Rustic Steel.
The Canberra trainer feels Ready To Humble is going better than at this stage last hear when he won the Snake Gully Cup at his third start for him.
Ready To Humble hasn't won since but has produced some excellent runs in better company highlighted by his last start effort.
"He is probably better suited at 1400 metres as he only just gets 1600 metres. He went super the other day and if he can get any luck from the draw he is a definite chance," he said.
"My concern is the outside draw. There are a lot of positives for him this year, but the draw makes it tricky."
Wagga jockey Nick Heywood is back aboard Another One ($5.50 equal favourite) at his third run from a break after finishing unplaced at his past two starts in Sydney including The Kosciuszko.
Heywood has won the Country Championships Final at Randwick and the SDRA qualifier on Another One and has ridden the chestnut in recent track gallops.
Trainer Gary Colvin said after some interruptions, he is happy where Another One is at: "The horse has cleaned up in the coat and I'm really happy with him now," he said.
"He has drawn an inside gate to settle up on the pace and the track should suit him and he gets through the wet ground. I'm happy with him and so is Nick after doing a couple of gallops on him."
Colvin's apprentice jockey Hannah Williams will partner dual Goulburn Cup winner Al Mah Haha ($19) in the Cup. Williams has ridden five winners from her past 17 rides and was aboard another cup contender Banger ($19) when he took out the Stan Sadleir at Wagga at his latest start
The powerful Waterhouse-Bott stable will be back for another crack at the Snake Gully Cup with Mensa Missile ($5.50 eq fav) who was a solid last start fourth in the Goulburn Cup. Two years ago, the stable won the Snake Gully Cup with Regal Dance which beat home race topweight Irish Songs ($19).
Irish Songs won his maiden at the Snake Gully Cup carnival in 2018 and four years later will lead the field out for the $100,000 feature. The in-form Morgenstern ($8) is in career best form an adds the X-factor to the Cup winning four and finishing second at his past five starts for trainer Brett Robb.
