Darwin trainer Phil Cole is looking for further success at the iconic Birdsville Races on Friday and Saturday.
Cole boasts a decent strike rate in the south-west corner of Queensland after four previous visits with eight wins and 13 minor placings.
Two years ago, Cole won the Birdsville Cup (1600m) with Saccharo before taking out the Open Handicap (1300m) with Kronos.
The Birdsville Race Club switched the Friday meeting in 2022 to Sunday because of torrential rain.
In 2023, Cole won the Open Handicap with Vunivalu with talented Top End apprentice Emma Lines in the saddle.
Cole and Lines went on to become Birdsville’s leading trainer and jockey last year.
Leaving Darwin with 12 horses, Cole will saddle up 15 runners on Friday and Saturday with Star Magnum in the Open Handicap and Saccharo, sidelined last year with injury, returning for the $50,000 Birdsville Cup.
Having raced at Mt Isa a fortnight ago, Cole was at Betoota – 167km east of Birdsville – last Saturday, where he had a win with Awen before Turnstar saluted, with stablemates Lord Fenrir and Preconi filling the minor placings.
“Betoota has never been a great hunting ground for me,” Cole said.
“A couple of my better horses were disappointing, but they did have a great deal of weight.
“They’re better weighted this week at Birdsville – more importantly they’re well.”
Star Magnum, who had two wins during the Darwin Cup Carnival, and Saccharo, who boasts good form in Darwin, Alice Springs and Queensland, are genuine contenders.
“Star Magnum, third at Betoota, is going to be better suited going back to racing in an anti-clockwise direction and Birdsville will be a better surface,” Cole said.
“The horse is a class animal and although it’s a small field of four, he’ll carry 62.5kg after lumping 63.5kg at Betoota.
“Saccharo, fourth in the Betoota Cup, has also disappointed running clockwise and 60kg in the Birdsville Cup is more manageable than the 62.5kg last week.
“He holds the track record (1.34.48) here from two years back.
“I’ve also got Awesome Lad in the Cup – he had a bleeding attack a while back and we rushed him back and then found out there were no races for him in Darwin.
“He’s never raced in Darwin, so we brought him out here – he ran second at Mt Isa and knocked up a little bit.
“He’s had a couple of nice gallops here at Birdsville, he’ll be fit and ready on Saturday.”
Alice Springs apprentice Dakota Gillett has accompanied Cole this year, and after having a win at Mt Isa for local trainer Jay Morris on August 24, the 18-year-old saluted aboard Awen at Betoota.
She will partner Star Magnum on Friday and Saccharo on Saturday.
Awesome Lad (59kg) will have the services of Brisbane jockey Matt Gray in the Cup.
Cole, who had a few transport issues en route to Birdsville, heads back to Darwin after next Saturday’s meeting at Bedourie – 187km up the road from Birdsville.
Injured jockey Wayne Davis has been running the stables back in Darwin in Cole’s absence.
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