Wagga trainer Chris Heywood believes Fermanagh Lad is a live chance in Thursday's $150,000 Town Plate (1200m).
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Heywood and apprentice jockey Josh Richards are set for a big couple of days at the Wagga Gold Cup carnival as they will carry the hopes of the locals in both feature races.
The pair will combine on Fermanagh Lad in the Town Plate and then again with Class Clown in Friday's $170,000 Wagga Gold Cup (2000m).
Fermanagh Lad qualified for the Town Plate with an all-the-way win in the Prelude and Heywood is confident he will again give his rivals something to catch on Thursday.
"I think so. If they're going to try and take him on for the lead, they're going to bring themselves undone," Heywood warned.
"I think (he can win). I can say for the first time in a long time I think anything could win it. It's that even, it's that sort of race."
Fermanagh Lad won the 1200m Benchmark 70 on Gold Cup day last year and has since won feature sprints Parkes, Moruya, Cowra, Wagga and ran second in the City Handicap at Albury.
"He goes through patches. He's a thick-winded horse that takes a little bit to get him right but once he's right, he shows how good of a horse he really is," he said.
Fermanagh Lad is a $16 chance with TAB for the Town Plate, despite beating the top two in the market at his last start.
Richards expects Fermanagh Lad to give a big sight.
"I'll drive him out like we normally do and hopefully he can get a good position up front, a good run throughout the race and he runs his races like he has been. You can't really ask for much more," Richards said.
"It's great for him to get a run in it and he'll try his heart out, like he does all of the time. There's obviously some tough competition and it's great to get a start in these kind of races. You've got to be in it to win it."
Heywood said the enormity of having a runner in Wagga's two biggest races has started to sink in.
"The buzz has probably started to hit me in the last 24 hours but it's good," he said.
"If they get the race run to suit their racing style, I think both will run well."
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