JUST few weeks ago Moonbi trainer Ruth Cooper snared her first quinella.
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Tomorrow she could double that and land an amazing first four in one of the feature races on the Tamworth Cup program.
Cooper has entered four of her stable in the $25,000 TD’s Paint Right Mornington Handicap (2100m) – race favourite Mullet Man, last- start Armidale winner Hauser, Code Word and Circle Of Fame.
Two of that quartet – Hauser and Code Word – ran one-two at a recent Armidale meeting when they quinellaed the Tooheys New Benchmark 60 Handicap.
That was Cooper’s first quinella in a successful training career since the former NZ jockey turned to training.
Tomorrow could be a special day.
However Cooper is far from carried away by that prospect, rather she thinks all four have reasons why they can win.
Her biggest problem is finding enough helpers to saddle up all four for the Mornington.
“I’m going to need a lot of help,” she laughed on Thursday night.
That she is running all four in the same race is out of necessity more than anything.
“I’ve been desperately looking for races for them.
“I had to run them all together in this.”
Mullet Man might be her favourite too.
The big 17-hand gelding is still maturing and won the Mornington Prelude impressively.
Glenn Lynch remains on board and they jump from barrier 11.
“He’s going very well, has drawn a little wide but will run well,” she said.
“Hauser is also racing well. He won well at Armidale (1900m) and then ran a very good third at Wyong last start.”
Andrew Adkins jumps on board Hauser and they jump from barrier 12.
“Code Word likes the wet,” she said.
“But Circle Of Fame loves it.”
Circle Of Fame wasn’t fit enough when eighth to Mullet Man in the Mornington Prelude.
“He’d only had three runs back from a spell,” Cooper said.
All four have been working well and give her a good chance depending on weather and how the race pans out.
“Collar is going to be the hardest to beat,” she said of the Jeremy Sylvester-trained gelding who won this race last year.
Collar also won the Wellington Cup two starts back as well but drew badly in 15.
“That might be all right out there though,” Cooper said of track affected by this week’s rain.
Cooper might dominate the Mornington with four of the 14 runners but Scone trainer Luke Griffith is almost as prolific in the other feature race, the $25,000 Shay Brennan Jardel Cup (1200m).
Griffith, the HNWRA premiership leader, has three starters in the benchmarked 65 handicap for fillies and mares – Hyacintha, How Will I Know and Holy Cleopatra.
Greg Ryan rides Hyacintha, stable apprentice Adam Sewell claims 2kg on How Will I Know and Country Championship-winning jockey Mitchell Bell has the Holy Cleopatra mount.
How Will I Know is a last- start winner and a $2.70 favourite in overnight markets, Holy Cleopatra is coming off a pair of seconds and has won at Tamworth while Hyacintha has had three runs back from a spell.
It’s not the only treble Griffith has running either.
He could conceivably win the three main races on Cup day, with Double Halo having a third run back from a spell in the Tamworth Cup and Armidale Cup placegetter He’s Dreamin’ entered in the Mornington.