Wallendbeen trainers Lorraine and Jack Roy have three chances to end their drought in the Wagga Gold Cup on Friday night.
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The pair have been living in the Riverina for over 40 years but are yet to strike it in the region’s richest race.
They’ve won plenty of big races over the years, including a Sydney Cup and a Mega Maiden, but Wagga’s feature has always evaded them.
Gunshot Ridge, Charlie’s Chance and Barbie’s Chance all qualified for the Ladbrokes Graeme Hull Memorial Cup final (525m) last week.
Jack Roy said it was a thrill to have three through.
“I’m very happy to have three starters in the cup,” Roy said.
“I’ve won plenty of races at Wagga but don’t know if I’d had a runner in the cup before, not that I can recollect anyway.”
Roy rates defending champion Ferrero Miss and her littermate Spring Jazz as the ones to beat.
However with some luck he expects all three of their chances to run strong races.
“I think they are all an equal chance with luck,” Roy said.
“None of them will be favourite as Paul Braddon’s dogs from Cowra will be very, very hard to beat and more or less I am racing for luck.”
Gunshot Ridge has drawn the one box while Charlie’s Chance (six) and Barbie’s Chance (eight) are wider on the track.
However they aren’t the starting positions Roy would have chosen.
“I would rather have the eight box with Gunshot Ridge and the one box with Charlies’s Chance and probably the middle box with Barbie’s Chance so I’m not drawn to the dogs advantage but luck is a fortune and you never know what will happen in a race,” he said.
“It is just good to be in it and racing for decent prizemoney.”
The Roys also have two chances in the Wayne ‘Butch’ Pertzel Memorial final (400m).
Chance Perfected won his heat while Dinty’s Choice was second behind favourite Dana Ali.
Dana Ali clocked a very fast 22.83 seconds last week but Roy has faith.
“My dogs are good chasers and only need an ounce of luck and they can go as quick as Rodney’s dog,” he said.