Albury trainer Brett Cavanough has three of the eight finalists while Wagga sprinter Living On A Prayer is there to defend his crown from the 2012-13 season.

Albury leads the charge with Cavanough's trio of The Monstar, Scatcat and Just A Bullet, along with Kevin Hanley's mudlark Eklands.

Living On A Prayer, city winner Jo Jo Girl and Grand Allowance are Wagga's three representatives, while Griffith cups campaigner Sonro is also a well-deserved finalist.

The criteria for this year's award has changed as horses must have had a minimum of three runs in the SDRA, but all their performances - whether locally or outside the district, will be taken into consideration by the judges.

Therefore, Jo Jo Girl's win at Randwick and Living On A Prayer's success in the $75,000 event at Townsville will count. This would not have been the case in previous years.

The SDRA committee will hold a vote on the eight contenders with the winner announced at the SDRA awards night on Friday November 21 at Murrumbidgee Turf Club.

A new category has also been announced with a 2YO of the Year award to be announced on the night.

The finalists for the 2YO award are Loved Up, Brandy Nan, Battle Of Evermore and Tothecoastandback.

SDRA secretary Scott Sanbrook believes the awards will again be hotly-contested.

"The SDRA is fortunate to have so many talented horses going around at the moment," Sanbrook said.

"In previous years any of these eight finalists would not have looked out of place with the Horse of the Year title."

The trainer, jockey and apprentice awards will also be presented on the night.

...

WAGGA trainer Gary Colvin has made the seven-hour trek to Newcastle for the Cup carnival.

Colvin arrived at Newcastle yesterday where he has taken the in-form Court Up In Rio and Zatigeroo.

Court Up In Rio romped in at Wagga last start and will take part in the $22,000 Benchmark 65 Handicap (2300m) at Newcastle today.

Zatigeroo will meet a six-horse field in the $22,000 Provincial Cup (1200m) tomorrow.

Zatigeroo ran fourth at Goulburn first-up and will be ridden by Jason Collett.

Court Up In Rio, a winner of three of his seven starts, will be ridden by apprentice Brodie Loy.

It will be the first time Colvin starts a horse at Newcastle.

"We'll give them a crack and see if they're up to it," Colvin said.

"There is the 2300 metre race there so we'll see what he's made of.

"He's done very well and just thrived over ground.

"He hasn't shown any signs of having had enough.

"I reckon both are chances."

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MURRUMBIDGEE Turf Club is ready for its second biggest race day of the year this Saturday.

The extremely popular Aggies meeting is expected to draw about 4000 racegoers to the track.

The six-race card has attracted 85 nominations.

The Benchmark 65 Handicap (1000m) will see the likes of Drop Kick, Battle Of Evermore, Lautrec, Back To The Bar and Contemplation go up against each other.

The feature will be the $8000 William Farrer Hotel 2014 Agricultural Club Cup Benchmark 60 Handicap (2000m) where last-start winners Munjiz, Aribaa, Brown Bob and He's A Chance are nominated alongside the likes of The Boondock Saint, Traded and Memphis Flash.

David Hayes has nominated last-start Kilmore winner Munjiz for the race.

...

THE $15,000 Coleambally Community Bank Jerilderie Cup will be the feature at Jerilderie on Saturday.

Jerilderie & District Racing Club will hold its feature race meeting with the $15,000 Jerilderie Cup (1400m) the highlight on the program.

Unfortunately for racing participants, the meeting will go up against Wagga and Grenfell meetings.

The meeting has still been well-supported with 105 nominations for the six-race card.

Among the entries in the Cup is Full Hand, Gunner, Cee Cee N Dry, Grand Sai Wan, Game Of Shadows and Chinzia.

...

SOUTHERN District stewards have concluded the inquiry into last month's race fall at Murrumbidgee Turf Club that left Canberra-based jockey Brendan Ward with a fracture in his neck.

Stewards held the inquiry at Gundagai last Sunday where fallen jockeys apprentice Carly Frater, Ward and Andy Bloomfield were all present, along with masters and other necessary jockeys.

While Stewards were critical that Frater had not attempted to restrain her mount, Jockarli, sooner than she did, after considering her relative inexperience (30 race rides) and the racing manners of her mount, no direct action was taken.

Frater was advised to be more aware of horses racing around her and advised of the dangers of allowing her mounts to race too close to heels.

Her master, Canberra trainer Paul Jones, was also advised to be more selective when engaging his apprentice for mounts which may be difficult to ride given her inexperience.

...

WAGGA trainer Wayne Carroll enjoyed a big weekend.

Carroll picked up the $1000 trainer's bonus at Griffith's Cup meeting last Saturday after successfully training a winning treble on the six-race card.

Carroll was successful with The Black Gandalf ($5.50), At The Tapas ($4.60) and He's A Chance ($3.80).

He then continued his success at Gundagai on Sunday when Casual Zariz ($4.60) scored.

Andy Bloomfield also experienced a good couple of days as he combined for five winners over the Griffith and Gundagai meetings.

...

SMART three-year-old filly Loved Up made a triumphant return to the races at Seymour last week.

Loved Up returned for just her second race preparation and she delivered a slashing first-up victory in the Showcase Fillies & Mares Benchmark 70 Handicap (1200m) at Seymour.

It was Loved Up's third win from six career starts.

Albury trainer Brett Cavanough highlighted his opinion of Loved Up by throwing her in the deep end at just her second race start when sixth in the Group Three Kindergarten Stakes at The Championships last April.

Cavanough has the three-year-old filly nominated for the $750,000 Caulfield Classic (2000m) on October 18.

Stephen King rode her in her first-up victory at Seymour, where she was near last at the 200-metre mark and stormed home to win.

Cavanough will again look to step the filly up to metropolitan grade next start.

...

STREET Ride proved there is still plenty of racing in him with a first-up feature victory.

Street Ride ($6.00) was produced to perfection first-up as he edged out $2.40 favourite Chinzia to take out the $15,000 Cudmore & Dalton Families Griffith Cup (1350m).

Street Ride was ridden to victory by Brad Clark.

It was the first time in 11 attempts that Street Ride has been successful first-up.

It was Street Ride's 11th career victory.

...

BERRIGAN trainer Emma Steel enjoyed success at Bendigo last week.

Steel was successful with Go de Orpen ($11.40) in the Benchmark 64 Handicap (1000m).

It was Go de Orpen's second win from four starts.

The lightly-raced six-year-old gelding was ridden to victory by James Winks.

The win continues a good run for Steel and her team.

...

What's On

Racing

Saturday: Wagga (TAB), Jerilderie (non-TAB)

Harness Racing

Friday: Young (TAB)

Greyhound Racing

Friday: Wagga (TAB)

SDRA Horse of the Year

Finalists

Jo Jo Girl (T Donnelly, Wagga)

Record in 2013-14:

18 starts for 6 wins, 5 seconds, 3 thirds

Prizemoney: $109,770

Wins: Mdn, CL1-SW, BM55, Picnic Cup, BM70, BM74

Major win: BM75 at Royal Randwick

The Monstar (B Cavanough, Albury)

Record in 2013-14:

12 starts for 6 wins, 2 seconds, 1 third

Prizemoney: $103,260

Wins: Mdn, 2 x BM55, BM70, Flat Knacker, BM78

Major win: Flat Knacker

Scatcat (B Cavanough, Albury)

Record in 2013-14:

15 starts for 5 wins, 1 second, 2 thirds

Prizemoney: $97,830

Wins: 3y Mdn-SW, CL3, CL2-SW, 3Y SWP, Sadleir

Major win: Stan Sadleir Stakes at Wagga

Sonro (G D'Altorio, Griffith)

Record in 2013-14:

14 starts for 6 wins, 0 seconds, 2 thirds

Prizemoney: $62,755

Wins: BM65, 5 x Open Handicaps

Major win(s): Narrandera Cup, Griffith Cup, Parkes Cup

Living On A Prayer (D Heywood, Wagga)

Record in 2013-14:

10 starts for 2 wins, 1 second, 2 thirds

Prizemoney: $84,840

Wins: 2 x Open Handicaps

Major win: Open Handicap at Townsville

Just A Bullet (B Cavanough, Albury)

Record in 2013-14:

6 starts for 4 wins, 2 seconds, 0 thirds

Prizemoney: $50,900

Wins: 3y Mdn-SW, CL1, BM65, CL3

Major win: CL3 at Albury

Grand Allowance (W Carroll, Wagga)

Record in 2013-14:

9 starts for 4 wins, 2 seconds, 0 thirds

Prizemoney: $40,685

Wins: Mdn, 2 x CL2, Open Handicap

Major win: Peacock Cup at Narrandera

Eklands (K Hanley, Albury)

Record in 2013-14:

17 starts for 5 wins, 4 seconds, 1 third

Prizemoney: $57,025

Wins: Mdn, CL2, BM64, BM70, BM74

Major win: BM74 at Wagga