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By Rod Fuller

Following a luckless third in the Aberdeen Cup at Muswellbrook a fortnight ago, Inferencia is well placed for success in the $40,000 Wauchope Cup to be conducted at Port Macquarie on Sunday.

With the Wauchope RSL Club getting right behind the club’s flagship event, the flashy bay mare has strong credentials after narrow wins in good class events at Newcastle and Rosehill last March in preparation for the assignment.

Her most recent metropolitan success was highlighted by Jason Collett taking the daughter of Inference to the lead and the Rebecca Dunn-trained mare was able to withstand the pack of horses in pursuit to claim a nose victory.

There were highly emotional scenes in the enclosure following the event with Dunn overwhelmed after training her first Saturday metropolitan winner on such a prestigious day featuring five Group One races headed by the Golden Slipper.

With a pattern of racing near the lead, which could provide some advantage on the weekend, Inferencia looks set to provide the testing material in the Cup with the engagement of Darryl McLellan providing further confidence.

The prominent Novocastrian hoop has won numerous features over many years in an illustrious riding career and knows what is required to win a Wauchope Cup having saluted last year on Rebel’s Edge.

The obvious danger centres around A Pound of Salt who steps up in class following a Class 3 Highway victory at Randwick late last month and Todd Howlett really has the son of Furnaces racing in peak condition for the weekend event.

Other strong chances are Russian Roni who is much better than his recent performance when resuming in the Gunnedah Cup with Jett Newman looking to continue her stellar recent riding success, while Centotes should be considered on his best form.

The Wauchope Cup is a race steeped in tradition with leading local trainer, Neil Godbolt, the most successful over the last half century with victory to Royal Décor in 1985 and 1987 enhanced by success in the following years with Zanoletti, Window and Never Doubt Me.

Debbie Prosser and the late, great Bob Graham enjoyed a solid strike rate in the event while Peter Graham holds the jockey honours with six victories including the two recent wins aboard Brazen and O’Driscoll.

While the Port Macquarie track was undergoing a complete reconstruction, last year’s feature was conducted at Kempsey with Rebel’s Edge scoring a dominant victory for the Darryl McLellan and Cassie Stummer combination over Wilderness Star and Claptone.

The recent Casino Flying could hold the key to chances in the M&S Print Wauchope Sprint with the first three placegetters contesting the $30,000 feature.

While the Colt Prosser-trained stablemates, Dis is Heaven and Bjorn Ironside drifting to the centre of the Casino home straight and having a real tussle on the heavy track conditions, The Wolf burst through in the centre of the pack to claim the prize.

With an improved racing surface and a weight advantage over The Wolf, both Dis is Heaven and Bjorn Ironside have strong credentials and it would be a wonderful reward for Prosser to win his hometown sprint after recent rainfall caused great heartbreak for his stables.

The Sprint has been a recent addition to the club’s racing calendar and Ms Wicked Wanda took out the first two editions of the event in 2015 and 2016 for champion trainer, Bob Milligan, with Ljungberg providing Leah Boyd with her first feature win for Taree mentor, Tony Ball, last year.

Nobody would begrudge every success to the Ball stable after recent floods decimated his training establishment and this could present in the opening race with Crazy Mikki looking to break through after an exasperating run of seconds in her short career.

Star Prediction is a gelding on the rise and recent placings at Scone and Muswellbrook provide plenty of ammunition for a forward showing in the following race with Tony enlisting the services of Shae Wilkes for both mounts.

The safest wager on the card centres around Via Vegas in the HLW Projects Handicap with the former Victorian really thriving under the care of local trainer, Jonathan Smith, and this was indicated with a dominant last start victory at Port over Lord Akomeed.

Wauchope Jockey Club is greatly indebted to the Wauchope RSL Club for their continued of this feature race day and would also like to acknowledge the sponsorship of M & S Print, Chris Hudson Electrical, Coffee on High, HLW Projects, Vilified at Bainsbridge Farm and Port City Glass in staging their feature meeting of the season.

A big thanks also goes to Port Macquarie Race Club for their cooperation together with Wauchope Dragon Flys and the Wauchope Blues with the additional granting of showcase prizemoney by Racing NSW ensuring a massive final acceptance for the nine-event program.

The first event on an eight-race card is scheduled for 11.20am with the barriers rising for the Wauchope RSL Club Cup at 3.45pm.

SELECTIONS
Race 1 – 11:20AM CHRIS HUDSON ELECTRICAL COUNTRY MAIDEN PLATE (1108M): 8 Crazy Mikki, 6 Angels Cloud, 1 Bee Bee
Race 2 – 11:55AM WAUCHOPE DRAGON FLYS 3YO MAIDEN H (1208M): 1 Star Prediction, 4 Spandex, 2 Piccaderro
Race 3 – 12:35PM COFFEE ON HIGH SUPER MAIDEN H (1512M): 1 Not My Problem, 2 Devine Crusader, 8 Clever Illusion
Race 4 – 1:15PM HLW PROJECTS COUNTRY BENCHMARK 58 H (1208M): 3 Via Vegas, 6 Lord Akomeed, 9 Fools Play
Race 5 – 1:55PM VILIFIED AT BAINSBRIDGE FARM CLASS 1 H (1208M): 11 What a Rush, 2 Whispering Rupert, 3 Gold Melody
Race 6 – 2:35PM WAUCHOPE BLUES CLASS 1 H (1208M): 1 Aged Care, 2 Punch One Out, 3 Whispering Muriel
Race 7 – 3:10PM PORT CITY GLASS CLASS 2 H (1512M): 5 Mega Flight, 8 All Too Rosey, 1 Pocket Eights
Race 8 – 3:45PM WAUCHOPE RSL CLUB WAUCHOPE CUP (1512M): 3 Inferencia, 10 A Pound of Salt, 1 Russian Roni
Race 9 - 4:20PM M&S PRINT WAUCHOPE SPRINT (1008M): 5 Dis is Heaven, 6 Bjorn Ironside, 3 The Wolf

View the final fields with full form & race replays for Wauchope (at Port Macquarie) here