TRAINER Donna Scott's history making assault on the Country Championships with Bennelong Dancer has suffered a hiccup.
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Scott spent the weekend hunting for a new jockey after regular hoop Blaike McDougall was suspended at Wagga on Thursday on a careless riding charge.
McDougall is eligible to resume riding on Sunday - the day after the $150,000 qualifier.
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Scott is confident leading Victorian provincial jockey Daniel Stackhouse will partner Bennelong Dancer on Saturday.
"It looks likely Daniel Stackhouse will take the ride," Scott said.
"Team Hayes has a stack of nominations for the meeting and Daniel has been booked to ride their horses.
"Obviously Blaike usually rides Hayes' horses when they venture up this way.
"As soon as Blaike got time I've been chasing another rider."
Scott conceded it wasn't ideal switching jockeys, especially considering McDougall had partnered Bennelong Dancer for the majority of her 19-start career.
"It's disappointing, especially considering how well Blaike knows her," she said.
"I initially was a bit deflated when I first found out.
"But it is what it is and there is no use dwelling on it.
"Being a Saturday meeting it's a lot harder to find a suitable jockey.
"But I've been fortunate enough to get Daniel who is the equal of any rider at the meeting."
Stackhouse is also the regular jockey of talented Wangaratta galloper Ashlor who is trained by Dan McCarthy.
Bennelong Dancer will have her final gallop at Albury on Tuesday in preparation for the Championship Qualifier.
The six-year-old mare is chasing a slice of history and will attempt to become the first galloper to qualify for three successive finals.
The classy mare gapped her rivals in last year's Albury Qualifier before running a gallant third to Noble Boy in the $500,000 final.
The previous year she finished fourth in the final behind Victorem after running second in the Wagga Qualifier behind O'So Hazy.
Meanwhile, as expected News Girl was nominated for the Championship Qualifier alongside two other races at Caulfield on the same day.
Trainer Geoff Duryea is not expected to make a final decision on where his classy mare will race until Thursday.
News Girl is most likely to start favourite at Albury if she contests the lucrative feature.
