TWO-time Kosciuszko champion Front Page and group one winner Shelby Sixtysix headline a quality list of nominations for the $200,000 Wagga Town Plate (1200m).
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Murrumbidgee Turf Club received 32 nominations for Thursday's feature sprint, which is shaping up as one of the strongest editions of the Town Plate yet.
Front Page is among the nominations as connections weigh up a third consecutive attempt for the 2022 champion and last year's second placegetter.
Danny Williams' 2022 group one Galaxy winner Shelby Sixtysix is among the nominations, as is Mitch Beer's defending champion Mnementh.
The nominations also include last-start listed winner Maharba, Team Hayes' group three winner Crosshaven and stakes-placed stablemate Nicolini Vito, 2022 Magic Millions Guineas winner Hell I Am, $2 million earner Rocketing By and Wagga's own Country Championships winner Asgarda.
Goulburn trainer Matthew Dale has nominated Front Page and recent stable acquisition Gravina.
Gravina is a certain starter, while a decision will be made on Front Page next week.
Front Page finished fifth as a beaten favourite in the group three Hall Mark Stakes at Randwick last Saturday week.
"We put the nomination in and kept it live, so to speak, off the back of last Saturday," Dale said.
"The track was extremely wet and he'd never been on a heavy track before, he'd never been on an eight let alone what was probably an 11 if you could mark it that.
"He just didn't travel in it, he was extremely well going into the race and he's come through it quite well.
"He's bouncing off the track there this morning so we're happy to leave an option open for the Town Plate. From what I can gather, even if they gave him the very top weight of 62, it's only a kilo more for winning another Kosciuszko and placing in a group one.
"Working off 62, it's only a kilo more than what he should have won with last year."
Dale is open to giving Front Page a third start in the race.
"We weren't shy of keeping him in it, it's just a matter of whether he ideally needs it a bit longer between runs on the back of that heavy track run but I'm not going to make a decision on that until next week. It's not off the cards, let's say that," he said.
"It's a great race. The Town Plate and the Kosi are the two country features he's aimed for in the last couple of years.
"I won't make a call on that until next week."
If Front Page doesn't go to the Town Plate, Dale has three other options circled.
The group two Victory Stakes (1200m) two days later at Eagle Farm is one option, as are the Takeover Target Stakes at Gosford and the ATC Cup at Gold Coast the following weekend.
Dale purchased Gravina online from Godolphin earlier this year and is excited to see him perform first-up in the Town Plate.
"Gravina looks definitely set to go," Dale said.
"We purchased him online and the timeline was effectively perfect to be first-up in the Town Plate, all being equal. He's coming up quite well.
"Even though he's had 20 starts and never won on a good track, he's 11-times placed at a really high level.
"Wagga's traditionally not too firm, it's got great grass coverage and as far as good track's go, it's actually got good natural give in the grass. I think it will suit him. I'm looking forward to it."
MTC chief executive Jason Ferrario was thrilled with the nominations for Town Plate day.
"The MTC is delighted with the nominations we've received for Town Plate day," Ferrario said.
"We've got 197 nominations in total, which is 23 more than last year and to top it all off, the quality of the nominations for the Town Plate itself, are some of the best noms we've ever had for that race.
"It shapes up to be a race of great quality and looks sure to be a great contest."
$200,000 Wagga Town Plate (1200m) nominations
Asgarda (Doug Gorrel), Big Day Out (Craig Weeding), Body Bob (Pat Murphy), Canny Hell (Kym Davison), Coastwatch (Richard & Will Freedman), Crosshaven (Ben, Will & JD Hayes), Demanding Mo (Keith Dryden), Eastern Glow (Keith Dryden), Front Page (Matthew Dale), Gravina (Matthew Dale), Hell I Am (Danielle Seib), Key Largo (Bryce Heys), Kote (Blake Ryan), Listen To The Band (Clint Lundholm), Maharba (Grahame Begg), Manhood (Annabel Neasham), Marnix (Garry Kirkup), Merc (Barbara Joseph, Paul & Matt Jones), Mnementh (Mitchell Beer), Nicolini Vito (Ben, Will & JD Hayes), Noble Solider (Robert & Luke Price), Our Last Cash (Donna Scott), Pokerjack (Tash Burleigh), Rocket Tiger (Ben Brisbourne), Rocketing By (David Pfieffer), Secret Plan (Richard Litt), Shelby Sixtysix (Danny Williams), Tap 'N' Run (Ron Stubbs), The Prodigal Son (Craig Widdison), Who But Roo (Anthony Warren), Wizard Of Oz (Danny Williams)
