MONASHEE Woods won a fourth feature Cup race this preparation when the Sue Grills-trained gelding refused to lie down in the straight, fight back and win yesterday’s $25,000 Watson, McNamara & Watt Guyra Cup (1400m).
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Headed by the Paddy Cunningham-trained Miss Caitlyn, seven-year-old Monashee Woods, a 5-2 equal favourite with the runner up, came again to add the Guyra Cup to his Moree Cup, Scone Christmas Cup and Inverell Cups.
Tamworth apprentice Sophie Young has ridden all four and knows the son of Monashee Mountain so well through track work and race rides.
Even she thought Miss Caitlyn had him beaten halfway down the straight.
“I thought he was gone – she went past us,” Young said.
“But he fought back so well – he always does.”
Grills prepares the gelding for Guyra’s Fred Bell, Uralla’s David Strelitz and Armidale’s James Harris.
She, too, thought the Grafton mare was going to prevail after heading her gelding.
“Sophie knows him so well though and he goes well for her,” she said.
“I thought he was beaten. It was something I expect of him though.
“We’ve been trying to get his feet right and finally have.
“It took him so long to get over that but now he’s right and he’s doing what I knew he could do.”
She will now give him a good spell.
She also prepared fourth-placed Couperin, who came from second last to make up many lengths in what was a good Armidale Cup trial.
However he will have to be at his best to beat the Tas Morton-trained Another Charger who gave an outstanding Armidale Cup preview when he won the Sole Taxation Armidale Cup prelude yesterday.
Young apprentice Andrew Adkins led on the gelding and then kicked away in the straight for a marvellous preview to the Monday, March 16 Armidale Cup (1900m).
Walcha and Quirindi Cup winner Latitat also charged home from back in the field of the Guyra Cup for a nice third and could also be headed to the Armidale Cup for owner-trainer Stafford Wain.
