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By Doug Ryan

Local trainer Marc Quinn is out to continue his family’s dominance in the Wauchope RSL Club Wauchope Cup (1500m) with four-year-old gelding Cogliere at the eight-race TAB meeting at Port Macquarie Racecourse on Sunday.

Quinn won the cup last year with Explosive Scene as well as in 2014 with Storm Ahead, and his late father, Pat Quinn, was also successful with Seen Im in 2008.

“It has been a good race for us to target and Cogliere represents a good chance,” Quinn said.

He has big ambitions with his galloper as after Sunday it will be aimed at the $50,000 South Grafton Cup over 1600m on July 8, the $80,000 Coffs Harbour Cup over 1600m on August 2 and the $80,000 Taree Cup over 2000m on August 19.

Cogliere has been a handy galloper for connections. In 23 starts he has posted five wins and three placings for $271,680 prizemoney and $37,500 bonuses. Last year at Taree the gelding won the $150,000 Qualifier for the Country Final at The Championships at Taree before finishing 8^th to Free Standing in the final at Royal Randwick. Cogliere won a 1400m Highway race at Randwick in January last year and his two recent starts in Queensland resulted in a win over 1600m at the Sunshine Coast on April 14 and a sixth (beaten 2.7 lengths) over 1630m at Doomben.

Cogliere salutes in a TAB Highway Handicap at Randwick. Credit: Bradley Photos.

In readiness for Sunday, the gelding has been freshened up and scored a win in a barrier trial at Taree on June 1. Quinn said the cup’s distance was ideal, otherwise he would have gone to a 1400m race at Rosehill.

“Cogliere is in really good shape and worked well during the week,” Quinn said. “He has been running a bit more handier these days in races and all going well he should travel about mid-field early.

“I think he will be better next season and as a six-year-old. We should have a lot of fun along the way.”

The rail being out three metres means maximum fields of 12 and this should allow the backmarkers to get on their bike in plenty of time.

Due to the track conditions there are plenty of hopes, one being Taree seven-year-old mare Who Is Game, trained by Michael Byers. He is choosing a start here for his galloper rather than in a 1800m race at Rosehill on Saturday.

“A wide gate (12) probably prevented her from being in the placings (ran fourth) behind Invicta in the Wingham Cup,” Byers said. “She likes the wet and won on one in Sydney not so long ago.”

The mare is versatile having won the Wingham Cup last year and also the Tuncurry Forster Cup over 2100m. Byers said jockey Matt Paget should have her handy to the pace and be hard to beat.

There is nothing wrong with the form of seven-year-old Coffs Harbour mare Sofin at this track where she has had four wins and four placings, a win and three placings from four starts at the distance, and wins in soft and heavy ground. She was third to Port’s Dixie Lad over 1614m at Taree on April 23 and then found the company too rich in two starts at Rosehill.

Six-year-old Taree gelding Chalcedony, trained by Matt Robinson, showed his fitness with a sprinkle of placings before a win over 1609m at Taree last Friday.

It is a very close handicapped field with possibly also in the mix being Brazen, trained at Scone by Brett Cavanaugh; winner of its past two starts, Radiant Choice from the stable of Stirling Oswald, and Wyong’s King Viv, trained at Wyong by Kim Waugh and to be ridden by Sydney jockey Blake Shinn.

View the fields, form and race replays for Sunday's Wauchope Cup meeting at Port Macquarie here. 

DOUG RYAN’S SELECTIONS:

RACE 1: Taken On Chance 1, She’s Choosie 2, Sizzleonthebridge 3.

RACE 2: The Eulo Queen 1, Shuswaggi 2, Spirited Belle 3.

RACE 3: Saganaki 1, If By Chance 2, Acraman 3.

RACE 4: La Biere Choisie 1, Bao Zheng 2, Lope De Lope 3.

RACE 5: Art’s Got A Gun 1, All Stand 2, Nicco’s Lass 3.

RACE 6: Traumatised 1, Shoreditch 2, Ozirose 3.

RACE 7: Cogliere 1, Brazen 2, Who Is Game 3.

RACE 8: Outsmartem 1, Lil’Lucky 2, Port Gold 3.