ALBURY trainer Brett Cavanough will try and strengthen his hand in the $400,000 Country Championships Final at Randwick next month by attempting to qualify Another Rush for the race.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Cavanough is eyeing off the wildcard race at Muswellbrook on March 27 for Another Rush who finished behind stablemate Steakandbearnaise and runner-up Mitchell Road in the Wagga qualifier last Saturday.
Another Rush, who was first up this preparation at Wagga, will race over the Albury Gold Cup carnival with Cavanough weighing up a start in either the City Handicap, Flat Knacker or Benchmark 65 race.
But, Just A Bullet, who led the Wagga qualifier early before fading to finish 12th, has been spelled.
Cavanough has confirmed Steakandbearnaise will step out in the Albury carnival to put the finishing touches on his Randwick final preparations.
He has earmarked the Albury Mile on the first day of the carnival.
The leading trainer did a similar thing last year when Wagga qualifier winner Loved Up came out and won the Albury Guineas before finishing sixth in the Randwick final.
Steakandbearnaise is raced by Cavanough's wife Lauren and North Albury Football-Netball Club identities Dean Luhrs and Peter Dempsey.
Cavanough will stick with apprentice Kayla Nisbet for the Sydney final after producing a super ride from barrier 15.
"I told Kayla to stay in touch and from the 800 metre to the 500 metres she was driving him hard to keep him in that position, but then the others started to drop off,” he said.
“They say she had good luck but she capitalised on all the breaks she was given and it was a gem of a ride.
"This horse lives in ice buckets, but having a runner at The Championships is what you work for.”
Mitchell Road is also Albury bound after recording his 11th second place finish from 20 starts for trainer Chris Heywood.
“He’s one of the few horses to qualify that hasn’t come from the back of the field so we might be the speed in the final,” Heywood said.
“If that’s the case, I’ll be happy because we won’t need any luck and he might be able to reel off some cheap sectionals.
“I know he’s run a lot of seconds but I figured if he could do it again I wouldn’t mind because it’s good enough to get us into the final.”
The championships wildcard race at Muswellbrook carries prizemoney of $50,000.
