The road to the 2023 $2 million Big Dance is well under way with four of the 28 qualifying Country Cups having already been run around the state.
Mudgee Race Club hosted the fourth of the eligible races on Friday with an enthusiastic sell-out crowd in attendance for the thriving Central West NSW town’s premier race day.
The James Cummings-trained Camaguey claimed the hard-fought win in the $75,000 Mudgee Showcase Cup (1600m), edging out Royalzel ($61) by a nose on the line with Hit the Target ($21) running a brave third up the rail.
Jumping as $3.40 favourite with online bookmakers, the Godolphin-owned galloper was settled in the middle of the 12-horse field by Grant Buckley. With plenty of galloping room, Buckley took the opportunity to pull out coming around the home turn and make a run down the outside of the leading pack.
The four-year-old Teofilo gelding was hard ridden by the top country jockey to find the line just in time in a very close finish.
The second placing also puts Royalzel in Big Dance contention for Hawkesbury trainer Terry Croft.
Camaguey has been the model of consistency over his 13-start career with three wins and seven placings to his name and was well set for Fridays Mudgee Cup by the Godolphin team.
With a first-up win this preparation at Hawkesbury over 1300m in a benchmark 64, he was then just beaten into third by a neck at Kembla Grange in a 1400m benchmark 78 before heading west for Fridays Mudgee Cup win.
Racing NSW confirmed the qualifying races on November 21 and three new Country Cups have been added to the list, with Narrandera Race Club, Gunnedah Jockey Club and Coonabarabran Jockey Club joining the line-up.
The announcement means that including the Big Dance Wild Card at Royal Randwick on October 14, there will be 29 opportunities for trainers and owners to vie for contention in the $2 million Big Dance and the $500,000 Little Dance to be run at Royal Randwick on November 7, 2023.
Prior to the Racing NSW official qualifying race announcement, three eligible Country Cups had already been contested.
The $200,000 Goulburn Cup (1400m) was held on October 30 and gave premier Sydney trainer Chris Waller his first potential Big Dance runner with Oscar Zulu taking out the feature with Willie Pike onboard. Having recent Listed placings, the Epaulette gelding rightfully started at $4.40, making him second favourite behind second placed Coal Crusher from the Joe Pride stable.
The running of the famous $100,000 Snake Gully Cup (1400m) at Gundagai was in question after the town and racecourse was inundated with flood water. But locals banded together to get the site ready for the $500,000 two-day carnival on November 11 and 12.
The ‘Governess of Gundagai’ Barbara Joseph, along with her sons Paul and Matt Jones took home the Snake Gully Cup trophy and Big Dance eligibility with four-year-old gelding Super Helpful.
Ridden by Quayde Krogh, Super Helpful began quickly from gate five and shot through to the lead at the top of the short 200m straight before going on for a comfortable half length win over the Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott-trained Mensa Missile with Another One in third for Gary Colvin.
The Manning Valley Race Club hosted the running of the $100,000 Taree Gold Cup (2000m) on November 20 with 63kg top weight and $3.90 favourite Military Mission prevailing by 1.5-lenghts for Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott.
Sitting just off the leader throughout the slowly run early stages, jockey Rachel King had to ask for an extra effort from her mount halfway down the straight, but once hitting the lead the Irish bred gelding went on for a convincing win over Onemore Sapphire who flew home from the rear of the field to also earn his Big Dance eligibility for Wyong trainer Tracey Bartley.
The next Big Dance eligible Country Cup will be hosted by the Shoalhaven City Turf Club on Sunday December 4 with the running of the $65,000 Nowra Cup (1600m).
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