Durable stayer Willy White Socks boosted his chances of a Wagga Gold Cup start with a timely victory at Murrumbidgee Turf Club on Tuesday.
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Wagga trainer Trevor Sutherland hopes Willy White Socks ($4.60) can now scrape into the field following a strong win in the Knights Meats & Deli 2018 Country Cup (2000m).
Willy White Socks had been knocking on the door with minor placings at four of his last five starts then broke through for a well-earned win at Wagga.
Sutherland hopes he can make the field for Friday week’s $160,000 feature.
“That’s always been his plan,” Sutherland said.
“He owes no one nothing so we decided six months ago that this would be his plan and that we would have a crack at it.
“We’ve got to get in still, but that should help him go close now.”
Willy White Socks hit the front halfway down the straight and held off the fast-finishing Go Get ‘Em ($31.00) by a long neck.
Big Haz ($10.00) boxed on for third.
Sutherland believes Willy White Socks, a winner of nine races and $155,000 in prizemoney, deserves his chance in the Cup.
“He’s going good. He’s been screaming out for the trip,” he said.
“His last two runs have just been too short. He probably wins them both with another 200 metres.
“I’m super happy with him. He’s really matured since last year.”
Sutherland and the Boys ‘N’ Babes syndicate nearly landed a race-to-race double when Hangin’ With Willy rocketed home at huge odds to grab second in the Chamberlains SBR Benchmark 60 Handicap (1200m).
Hangin’ With Willy ($101) stormed home down the outside as Addchan ($5.00) clung on for a gritty win. Class Clown ($7.00) was not far away in third.
Meantime, Wagga trainer Chris Heywood combined with son Nick to win the Thomas Bros Group Maiden Handicap (1000m) with Wolfofpeterstreet ($6.50).
It was an enjoyable win for the trainer, a St George-Illawarra supporter, with Wolfofpeterstreet carrying the Dragons colours of the Barnhill family.
Wolfofpeterstreet had been freshened up since being beaten 18 lengths as the $1.60 favourite at Albury last month, when pulling up with an irregular heartbeat.
“She went super, she was enormous. It was a good tough win,” Heywood said.
“We had to do a bit of work with her to get her back right again but we got that sorted.
“It was good to win for my owners.”
Wolfofpeterstreet was no better than four wide throughout the trip and edged out Tully Toff ($3.10) in a photo finish.
Heywood also snared third with Red Medusa ($14.00).
Wolfofpeterstreet, a four-year-old mare, is out of the Barnhill’s top broodmare, Wamoon.
Gundagai trainer David Blundell was the only other Southern District trainer to taste success with Texacody ($4.60) winning the first division of the Class One & Maiden Plate (1600m).