Scott turned 52 on Sunday. 

The Winter Cup series was first run last year. It links Gunnedah Jockey Club’s trio of feature races – the Somerton Cup, the Gunnedah Cup and the Curlewis Cup, with a major prize for the most successful trainer from those races that is decided on a three, two and one-point basis.

This year, only two trainers are positioned to win the series outright – Thompson and Paula Cartledge.

Both trained the third place-getters in the Somerton and Gunnedah cups, Thompson finishing third with Valatia to Smart Attire and Cut The Mustard in the Somerton Cup, and Cartledge finishing third with Congelator finishing third to Unbiased and Rocketorio in the Gunnedah Cup.

Cartledge, who is based at Oakey in Queensland, has Congelator entered in the Curlewis Cup. The four-year-old gelding son of Dane Supreme has drawn barrier three with three-kilogram-claiming apprentice Qin Yong set to ride him.

Exitozo, a six-year-old son of Excites, has drawn barrier nine. 

Courtney van der Werf will ride the gelding, who was unplaced to Unbiased in the Gunnedah Cup after leading.

He then ran a big third to Another Larga and Gunnedah Cup runner-up Rockatorio in the John “Mouse” Sinclair Cup at Quirindi on June 12.

Nine quality horses have accepted for the Curlewis Cup. The TAB meeting, which is a standalone meeting in NSW, has eight competitive races on the card.

While Gunnedah Jockey Club secretary manager Mark Storey would have liked some more acceptors, he was more than happy with the overall fields for the day.

“We got nine acceptors from 13 so that’s not too bad but I’m happy with the quality of the field,” he said.

“It’s hard with a showcase meeting in Tamworth on Friday – we’re drawing out of the same pool. I’m pretty happy with the overall fields. There’s some good, quality fields across the day.”