Last week, Canberra trainer Nick Olive was trying to win the Melbourne Cup with Single Gaze.
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Just 10 days later, he will chase another Cup he desperately wants to win, the $70,000 Snake Gully Cup (1400m) at Gundagai on Friday.
It has been a big couple of months for Olive, who could not be prouder of his gutsy mare, Single Gaze.
She ran the race of her life to run second behind Boom Time in the Caulfield Cup, before her chances were cruelled by being significantly hampered when 17th in last week’s Melbourne Cup.
Olive admits it has been a ‘challenge’, readjusting to normality after such an amazing ride but is looking forward to getting to Gundagai a bid to end his Snake Gully Cup drought.
“It’s been a challenge...a big adjustment actually,” Olive said of life post the Cup campaign.
“It would be great to win (the Snake Gully Cup). I’ve been trying to win it for years and always fallen short, I’ve had beaten favourites and everything.
“It’s definitely a race in the local area I’m dying to win.”
Bring A Secret will carry the top weight of 58.5 kilograms in Friday’s feature race, from barrier six for experienced jockey Nick Souquet.
Bring A Secret had been racing in top form with a win in the $30,000 Tony Campbell Memorial (1400m) at Canberra and a third placing in the $200,000 TAB Anniversary Highway Handicap (1400m) at Randwick before an unplaced run at Rosehill last start.
The 10th placing has virtually made the five-year-old the forgotten horse of the Cup.
“He had excuses that day as well,” Olive said.
“All I know is his trackwork this week was excellent. I think he’ll be a really good chance, unless we get too much rain. The more rain we get, the less chance he is. Otherwise, he’s going really well and I’m very happy with him.”
Olive will be hoping luck on his side, as he celebrates his 45th birthday on Friday.
Having endured a number of near misses in recent years, Olive believes luck is one of the key ingredients to success in the Snake Gully Cup.
“With the Gundagai track, I think you just need things to go right for you on the day,” he said.
Olive also has four other horses in at Gundagai on Friday, who he believes will handle the rain-affected surface.
Olive will launch a two-pronged attack with Fox Tales and Lock The Doors in the feature sprint, the $35,000 Martin Hay Earthmoving Snake Gully Flying (1000m).
Fox Tales is unbeaten on slow and heavy going.
