The opportunity to confirm a place in his hometown cup has inspired Todd Smart to have a two-prong attack in the Snake Gully Cup Prelude (1200m) at Murrumbidgee Turf Club on Friday.
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Smart, now based in Canberra, has Attainment and Reka Outlaw set for the benchmark 65 handicap.
However after Attainment drew to start from the extreme outside of the 15-horse field, he isn’t locked in to take his place.
“We will just see what happens as I have accepted with him at Goulburn (on Sunday) as well,” Smart said.
“I am just going to weigh everything up to see what we do with him.”
Smart rated him only a 50-50 chance to line up at Wagga.
“He is a horse that goes forward naturally so we are some hope of getting caught wide,” he said.
“It all depends on what goes forward.
“In that regard we are keeping our options open.”
Despite the uncertainty of whether Attainment will start, Smart believes both will be compete after engaging apprentice jockeys.
“They are both definitely live chances,” he said.
“Both horses are fit and well.”
Reka Outlaw was initially an emergency, but the scratching of Norm Gardner’s Nights Of Fire on Thursday ensured his place in the field.
With Harry Grace claiming four kilograms, Reka Outlaw will start with only 52.5kgs on his back.
With Brett Cavanough’s top weight Lampedusa slugged with 63.5kgs, Smart believes the light weight will be a huge plus to his chances.
“He is weighted to win,” he said.
“He has come back to me in form and with the 52.5 on his back he will be very hard to catch.”
Winning the Snake Gully Cup has been the main ambition of Smart since he took up a trainers licence.
It is the first time a prelude to Gundagai’s feature has been run and Smart believes it is a great chance for local trainers to ensure can qualify their horses.
“It gives horses a crack as some city horses will come down,” Smart said.
“I helps the country trainers out.”
The third of Smart’s runner at Wagga is Calzaghe Prince.
After coming second on the track in his debut earlier this month, Smart is confident he can go one better.
The three-year-old was scratched from Wodonga on Thursday to head to Wagga instead.