Wangaratta trainer Andrew Dale will trek to Wagga on Sunday, making a two-pronged attack in the Wagga Whiz (1000m) sprint.
Brenlyn’s Trooper (Jack Martin) and Chairman’s Choice (Billy Owen) will be the stable’s chances, while an open field will be headlined by former Argentinean star and last-start Corowa winner Tato Key.
In fact, the Ben Brisbourne-trained Tato Key will come up against a very similar field in Sunday’s race, with Brenlyn’s Trooper running fifth that day when beaten 2.29 lengths, while Chairman’s Choice was further down the track, running ninth when beaten just shy of seven lengths.
Also contesting the Wagga Whiz after going down to Tato Key is the Dan McCarthy-trained Northernero, which ran fourth but was beaten less than a length.
“It’s probably a race with the same sort of horses that went around in that (Benchmark) 66 grade race at Corowa,” Dale said.
“They all go up in class but down in weights, and it’s fairly well spread.”
Dale believes the barrier draw makes it hard for the in-form Chairman’s Choice, which recently won back-to-back races at Corowa and Narrandera.
“Chairman’s Choice is going well, and if he draws in, that changes the dynamics of the race,” Dale said.
“Unfortunately, he’s drawn nine from nine, and it will be a difficult assignment to go back and hit the line, especially with how he has been racing, which is at the back of the speed, drawing low, and not having to do much.
“Whereas with Brenlyn’s Trooper, he’s the one drawn nice, and he’ll get into a good spot behind the genuine speed.”
Second-up following a 22-week spell, Dale expects Brenlyn’s Trooper to be fitter following a luckless first-up effort at Corowa.
“He was a bit unlucky in that race behind Tato Key, and it was Chairman’s Choice that took him out,” Dale said.
“He drew bad and was off the track, and it was no fault of young Holly (Durnan) on Chairman’s Choice, but Brenlyn’s Trooper got inconvenienced and went back but still hit the line well and was as good as anything else late in the race and I’d like to think he will improve on that run.
“There was good support for him late on the NOP (Official Price), which is always a good sign because the volume of money that comes late generally indicates what the professional punters think,” Dale said.
Dropping 7.5 kilograms off his run at Corowa, Brenlyn’s Trooper gets in nicely with 55kg.
The six-year-old is a three-time winner, and as a youngster, he raced in some good races, winning the 2021 Albury Sprint Classic at just his fourth start while contesting Listed and Quality races down the Flemington straight.
Dale would love to see the Redente gelding rediscover that form, and if it did, it would make him very tough to beat at Wagga.
“He was running around and placing in Listed races a few preparations back, and he ran second on the Listed Creswick Stakes at Flemington,” Dale said.
“If he can find some of that form, it adds a bit of a different slant on it, and he would take some beating.”
On a good day’s racing at Wagga, headlining the seven-race card is the $32,000 Riverina Cup (2500m).
The annual staying event has attracted a few in-form runners, including last-start winners Nordic Pride (Alysha Warren, $4) from the Ben Brisbourne yard and Leather Jacket Lew (Jean Van Overmeire, $3) from the Danielle Seib yard.
For Wagga fields, click here.
