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By Rod Fuller

The prized booking of outstanding jockey Blake Shinn should ensure talented galloper King Viv goes close to landing victory in the $32,000 Wauchope RSL Club Cup at Port Macquarie this Sunday.

From the Kim Waugh stable, King Viv is having his second run from a spell in preparation for Sunday’s race following a first-up ninth at Rosehill. Despite being better known over middle-distance, the stable has an outstanding strike rate at the track and the significance of Shinn’s riding appointment can’t be downplayed.

King Viv (Tye Angland) powers home at Rosehill Gardens. Image by Bradley Photographers

With the benefit of a recent barrier trial performance, Cogliere looms as the main danger with the Quinn family having enjoyed wonderful success at the circuit over a long period of time and trainer Marc looks to have placed the Pluck gelding perfectly in this prestigious north coast feature.

Following a sound run in the local Country Championships qualifier behind the ultimate series winner Victorem, Cogliere was placed at the Gold Coast before a decisive win on the Sunshine Coast at Class 6 level in April.

After a solid sixth at Doomben behind Old Habits before being spelled, the gelding looked very impressive in the recent trial win at Taree and seems well placed for a strong cup performance.

The significant prizemoney has resulted in many chances for the event with the Stirling Osland-trained galloper, Radiant Choice (also marked down to run at Rosehill on Saturday) chasing a hat-trick following wins at Tamworth and Rosehill. The last start Class 2 Highway success in town over Hemmerle was full of merit and the Choisir gelding looks well placed to handle the step up to open company should he run here.

Chalcedony has been a model of consistency for popular Taree trainer, Matthew Robinson, and put the writing on the wall with a sound win on heavy ground at his home track last start. Others with a chance include Brazen, from the Brett Cavanough stable, following a solid performance during the Scone Cup carnival while Sofin could be prominent if somewhere near her best form.

The other highlight on the program is the M&S Print Wauchope Sprint where All Stand looks to have an undeniable chance following encouraging placings on the provincial circuit and a win at Randwick in December. Following the I Am Invincible gelding’s last start sixth at Gunnedah in the Lightning Handicap behind Murvate, the Todd Howlett-trained galloper looks hard to beat.

Jemily has won two from her previous three appearances and will provide the testing material while Art’s Got a Gun is resuming from a spell for the astute Gladstone trainer, Peter Ball.

There will be a great deal of interest in the two-year-old event as Greg and Leah Kilner combine with the highly credentialed Choisir filly, She’s Choosie, looking set to continue her great run of success.

The youngster will be against stiff opposition in the shape of Taken by Chance, Sizzleonthebridge and Leafy Green while the interesting runner on the program looks to be in the Maiden Plate where No Doubt a Lady, a former Victorian now in the hands of Dwayne Schmidt is competing.

The Wauchope club was delighted with over 160 final nominations ensuring capacity fields and top quality final acceptances for the cup, the feature sprint together with the support races on the program. One man who will be watching from above is former Port Macquarie trainer Ron Adkins, who we lost at the age of 89 a couple of weeks ago.

Ron was the father of former track curator and current Riders’ Agent, Brett Adkins, and the grandfather of outstanding jockey, Andrew, with many glasses to be raised in honour of a great man at the track on Sunday.

Wauchope Jockey Club greatly appreciates the continued support of Wauchope RSL Club in providing the major sponsorship for the day and acknowledge the assistance provided by M&S Print, Wauchope Real Estate, Port City Glass, Wauchope Motel, Construction and Cladding Australia, NBN Television and Hastings Co-Op Department Store.

The first event on an eight-race program kicks off at 12.05pm with the Wauchope RSL Club Cup feature scheduled for decision at 3.38pm and the award-winning facilities of the Ivan Livermore grandstand in full operation.

The next meeting to be conducted by Port Macquarie Race Club is on Tuesday 26th June with full TAB and Sky Racing coverage while the John L Fisher Plumbing Supplies raceday is scheduled for Saturday 14th July to coincide with the school holidays.

SELECTIONS
Race 1 (Hastings Co-Op Dept. Store 2YO Hcp, 1206m):1 She’s Choosie, 2 Taken on Chance, 5 Leafy Green
Race 2 (Construction & Cladding Australia Maiden Plate, 1106m): 5 No Doubt a Lady, 8 Spirited Belle, 9 The Eulo Queen
Race 3 (NBN Maiden Hcp, 1506m): 5 Lover Legs, 2 Saganaki, 3 Acraman
Race 4 (Port City Glass CL2 Hcp, 1506m): 3 La Biere Choisie, 1 Bao Zheng, 5 Real Time Warrior
Race 5 (M&S Print Wauchope Sprint, 1006m): 3 All Stand, 8 Jemily, 4 Art’s Got a Gun
Race 6 (Wauchope Motel CL1 Hcp, 1006m): 6 Miss Allspice, 1 Traumatised, 5 Shoreditch
Race 7 (Wauchope RSL Club Cup, 1506m): 4 Cogliere, 6 Radiant Choice, 1 King Viv
Race 8 (Wauchope Real Estate BM 55 Hcp, 1106m): 1 Outsmartem, 4 General Nelson, 5 Budawang

View the final fields with full form & race replays for Port Macquarie here