Halo Warrior wins to put himself into Country Championships calculations

Scott continued her brilliant start to the season as Halo Warrior ($3.70) scored a fighting victory in the Riverina Lift Trucks C,G&E Benchmark 58 Handicap (1200m).

Blaike McDougall pinched a race-winning buffer on Halo Warrior by taking an inside run as he downed the fast-finishing Swagger ($8.00) by a half length.

Scott, who leads the Southern District premiership, already looms with a strong hand for the $150,000 Country Championships heat with Oamanikka and La Sante.

Halo Warrior will now join her Championships contingent, that is likely to also feature Bautista and Gottaluvtrucks.

Scott confirmed Halo Warrior will head to the feature at Wagga on February 20 after his latest effort.

"For sure," Scott said.

"I think there has been a few horses obviously with the rule change, poor old Mitch Beer has been struck a little bit by it, a couple that were purchased that are now not eligible, so I don't think it will be as high a rating race as it normally was but this horse has done everything to deserve a crack at it anyway."

Halo Warrior started out with Craig Widdison at Wodonga but won first up for Scott at Albury in December.

The four-year-old ran fourth at Corowa last start but bounced back strongly with a Wagga win.

"Yeah I thought he was a good thing at Corowa the other day but the race didn't pan out and Corowa's a funny track, he just got too far back. You can't make ground there at that track," he said.

"Blaike was going to be more positive, be in the first half of the field and give him every chance, which is what happened."

Scott narrowly missed out on a winning double when Bellarina Magic ($1.85) worked home strongly for a second placing behind Full Of Fire ($3.80) in the Laser Plumbing and Electrical Class Two Handicap (1000m).

Meantime, Canberra mare Stand Your Ground ($6.50) made it back-to-back Wagga wins with victory in the Anthony Malone Constructions F&M Benchmark 58 Handicap (1200m).

The chestnut mare rocketed home for her maiden win at Wagga earlier this month and then stormed home to make it two in a row.

Apprentice jockey Madison Waters again did the job and Canberra trainer Norm Gardner was thrilled with the win.

"She has turned the corner," Gardner said.

"I think the key to her is not to bustle her out, let her come out and find her feet. She's a horse too, it takes her 50 or 60 metres to wind up but when she winds up, she lets down good."

Gardner said he will look for a Highway Handicap over 1400 metres for the mare now with one eye on a race like the Queen of the South over the Wagga carnival.

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