FREE Billy and Rockatorio could give Moree trainers Peter and Nathan Sinclair a welcome one/two finish when they line up in Monday’s $20,000 AgQuip Field Days Cup Open Handicap (1300m) at Gunnedah.
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If the two horses do feature at Riverside Racecourse on Monday then they will head to the Sunday, September 2 $40,000 Moree Cup (1400m).
That’s the immediate future for the pair of gelding’s who have been such good performers for their father and son training combination.
“It would be nice,” Peter Sinclair said of the Ag Quip Cup quinella.
“If they both run good races they will go around in the Moree Cup. That’s only two weeks away.”
Running one/two in a Moree Cup is something Peter Sinclair has done in the past too.
“The year Storm Boy won it,” he recalled.
“Andrew Spinks rode him and Jonesie (the late Darren Jones) was on my other horse. Can’t remember his name but Jonesie led by a dozen lengths at the 600m. I was just hoping he could hold on but he started to fall in a big hole at the 100m. I was just about to say you rotten @#$! as the rest of the field started to come at him. I was cursing you rotten @#$! beauty when I realised it was Storm Boy who was coming and grabbed him.”
That he and his son, Nathan, have Cup hopefuls is a testament to their ability and commitment.
Free Billy has won eight races for Sinclair senior since he joined the Moree stable and has now racked up 10 wins in 46 starts for $100,580 in prizemoney.
He is also a last start Goondiwindi winner, returning from a spell with an unplaced run at Moree over 1200m and then winning over 1000m at Gundy.
“It was a bit arse about but we couldn’t miss a run at home,” Peter Sinclair said.
“And Geoff Snowden rode him a treat at Gundy. He sat and waited and got a run up the inside.”
Armidale-based Snowden will ride Free Billy Monday while Josh Adams jumps aboard Rockatorio for Nathan.
Funnily enough both Free Billy and Rockatorio share more than just the Sinclairs as trainers.
Free Billy was second to Halway To Heaven in the 2016 Gunnedah Cup whilst Rockatorio was second to Unbiased in this year’s Gunnedah Cup.
“Nathan has got him going good,” Peter said.
“He had a mishap last start at Scone but he’d missed a run and a bit of work and put on a bit of weight.
“Hopefully he bounces back at Gunnedah.”
Free Billy jumps from barrier eight and Rockatorio from the five in Monday’s feature race.