With a Tiger’s tattoo on his chest, a cheeky grin, and a great personality to boot, Billy Owen is the pride of Gundagai.
The 32-year-old boasts a big following on his home track, where he rides an impressive 22.2% strike rate, and there were absolute scenes back in 2021 when Owen won the Gundagai Cup on the Nick Olive-trained Maid Of Ore.
Since then, the famous hoop has won in town, among other accomplishments. The well-respected jockey is nearing 400 career wins (currently 397).
Still, one race has eluded the boy from Brungle.
On Friday, Owen gets his chance to win the time-honoured $100,000 Snake Gully Cup (1400m) when jumping on favourite and 2024 Country Championships winner Asgarda.
Trained by Wagga conditioner Doug Gorrel, Asgarda has taken her trainer and connections on a whirlwind ride.
The six-time winner, raced by Kooringal Stud, keeps improving, and from triumphing in a maiden at Gundagai in 2023, the five-year-old The Brothers War mare has won the $1 million Country Championships at Royal Randwick in April.
Asgarda’s original jockey was Kayla Nisbet, who hung up the boots for a microphone after their Country Championships success, and she now works for Sky Racing.
Owen has since picked up the ride, and he helped her to a good fifth place in the $3 million The Kosciuszko when beaten only four lengths by Far Too Easy, again at Royal Randwick late last month.
On Friday, Asgarda gets into the Snake Gully Cup nicely, having drawn gate 5 while being allocated 59kg by the Racing NSW handicapper.
“I haven’t had a chance like this in the Snake Gully Cup,” Owen told NSW Country and Picnic Racing’s Jeff Hanson.
“Just through my weight, I’ve not had a lot of rides in the race, so it hasn’t worked in my favour, but this year, I’m on the local horse, and it turns out she is a very good horse, and she will start the well-deserved favourite.”
Final acceptances for the 2024 Snake Gully Cup worked in Owen’s favour, with Sydney and Melbourne trainers seemingly bypassing this year’s edition.
It is still a very strong race, with the likes of Zouatica, Wild Chap, Body Bob, Baledon, Harmonious Senora, and Louie’s Legacy taking on the rich Country Cup and Big Dance qualifier.
“I actually thought I’d need to win on her in Sydney the other day or at least run second for her to have my weight,” Owen said.
“Especially with mares because they get a two-kilo allowance, so I was very surprised she got 59kg; I would have loved for her to get 57kg because I still could have ridden her, but we’re pleasantly surprised.”
Earlier this month, following her efforts in The Kosciuszko, Asgarda finished fourth in a 1300m Benchmark 78 Handicap at Rosehill Gardens. Owen believes she is ready and raring for Friday’s Snake Gully Cup.
“I didn’t know much about her before this prep, but she has exceeded my initial expectations of her,” Owen said.
“She is quite unassuming to ride in trackwork, and she gives me the feeling of being a good horse, but on race day is when she gives me that confidence,” Owen said.
“That Kosciuszko run was unbelievable, and I was refreshing the screen and weight for the barrier draw, and when I saw it, I thought, ‘she was drawn perfectly in this race’.
“I’ve got so much confidence in the horse, and Doug knows how to get her right, so she’ll start a well-deserved favourite.”
While Owen would love nothing more than to win his hometown feature race, he wasn’t taking anything away from Asgarda’s rivals.
“To be able to say I have won a Snake Gully Cup would mean the world, and to have the trophy on the mantlepiece would mean everything,” Owen said.
“She’s the horse to beat, but it’s a good race, and she will be the favourite, but there are a lot of boxes to be ticked from now and getting cup into my hand on Friday.”
All roads lead to Gundagai on Friday and Saturday for their annual two-day $600,000 Snake Gully Cup carnival.
On Friday, there will be eight races, including the $100,000 Snake Gully Cup (1400m) and $50,000 The Tuckerbox (1000m), along with fashions on the field, marquees, bookmakers, the TAB, and plenty more.
On Saturday, the $34,000 Hair Of The Dog Cup (1800m) headlines the seven-race program.
Readers are encouraged to check out the Gundagai Adelong Racing Club socials for more details.
