Paths Of Glory, Waller runners likely to head Wagga Gold Cup nominations

Paths Of Glory won the JRA Plate (2000m) at Randwick last Saturday and is set to be nominated for both the $200,000 Wagga Gold Cup (2000m) and the $250,000 Gosford Gold Cup (2100m) the following day.

Trainers Richard and Michael Freedman have said they will most likely accept with Paths Of Glory for both features and will weigh up the track conditions, barriers and fields before making a decision with the grey.

He was ridden to victory last Saturday by Rachel King, who won the Gold Cup in 2017 on Stampede and has since gone onto greater heights.

Chris Waller is expected to nominate a team for the Wagga Gold Cup, with Alward, Yonkers and Polly Grey among those likely to feature.

The Town Plate is set to attract the likes of Southern Lad, who finished second last year, last-start Randwick winner Marway, 2019 winner Ghostly and last-start Doomben winner Fender.

Nominations for the Town Plate close on Friday, while trainers have until Monday for the Gold Cup meeting.

The fields for this year's Gold Cup will not be released until Wednesday, meaning the annual barrier draw will be held this year on Wednesday morning.

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COMEBACK galloper Pontmain will make his return to the races at next week's Wagga Gold Cup carnival.

Pontmain returned to the trials at Albury on Monday when he enjoyed a quiet trial when finishing third behind Opalescence over 900m.

Pontmain created a big impression at his first two race starts before succumbing to a tendon injury.

Trained by Tim Donnelly, Pontmain won at Wagga on debut over 1600 metres and then went straight to a Class Three Highway Handicap (1800m) at Randwick, where he was edged out in a photo finish and ran second.

Now a seven-year-old, Pontmain has not raced since February 2019.

"He's going to be a nice middle distance horse, over 1800 metres, 2000," Donnelly said.

"I was really pleased with his trial. He was supposed to trial at Wagga but had a little temp and had a few days out.

"He'll run at Wagga on the first day."

Pontmain is owned by Gundagai's Tony and Bill Barton and was purchased as a yearling from France.

Meantime, stablemate Pressed For Thyme has been retired.

Pressed For Thyme won her only start, in impressive fashion, at the 2019 Wagga Gold Cup carnival and had trialed in readiness for a return last month but has since injured a tendon and been retired.

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SKY Racing form analyst Brad Davidson will be a special guest at next week's Wagga Gold Cup carnival.

Davidson will run the 'Punter's Podium' on both Town Plate and Gold Cup day.

Davidson was set to attend last year's carnival as a special guest before COVID-19 hit and the general public were shut out.

Davidson is popular among punters, particularly on social media, and is sure to attract a following at the carnival.

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GROUP one winning jockey Jake Bayliss' plans for the Wagga Gold Cup carnival have been abandoned.

Bayliss was set to ride on both days of the Wagga carnival but picked up a careless riding suspension at Sunshine Coast on Sunday.

It means he will now miss both days of the carnival.

There is still plenty of big-name jockeys travelling to Wagga with Tommy Berry, Nash Rawiller, Rachel King, Kathy O'Hara, Jason Collett and Jay Ford all set to compete on both days.

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GLOBAL racing giant Godolphin are unlikely to have any runners at this year's Wagga Gold Cup carnival.

The likes of James Cummings and Darren Beadman have been regular attendees in recent years but Godolphin don't have any plans at this stage to send horses to Wagga.

"At this stage, Godolphin doesn't have anything to send to Wagga for the carnival," Godolphin's marketing executive Morgan Thomas said.

Godolphin have had mixed luck in recent times.

Tally was set to start second favourite in the 2018 Wagga Gold Cup only to be scratched at the barriers.

Morton's Fork ran sixth as second favourite, behind Abdon, in 2019, while they scratched Best Of Days last year, who was top weight in the event.

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CANBERRA trainer Nick Olive is looking at the 2YO Handicap on Wagga Town Plate day for Nephradiva.

The two-year-old filly won by four lengths on debut at Albury last Monday.

It backed up the big opinion Olive had of the Winning Rupert filly.

"She had showed us a lot at home...she's got a beautiful action," Olive said afterwards.

"She did it pretty easy. Obviously Wagga is in just under a couple of weeks so we'll see how she pulls up but that would be the next step."

Blaike McDougall, who rode three winners on the day, also was impressed by the filly.

"She's a horse I'd like to see in 12 months time, or even two preps time," McDougall said.

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IT WAS a four man show at Deniliquin on ANZAC Day.

The five-race card was shared between just two trainers and two jockeys.

Wangaratta trainer Andrew Dale and jockey Nathan Punch combined for a treble.

The remaining two races, including the ANZAC Day Cup, went to Corowa trainer Rick Freyer and jockey Brad Vale. The pair clinched the Cup with Boogie Woogie ($6.00), who ran second in the Hillston Cup two weeks before.

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BOOKMAKER Phillip Jones copped a $400 fine from stewards at Deniliquin on Saturday.

Jones pleaded guilty to a charge of failing to accept a bet, in that he refused to accept a wager from fellow bookmaker Michael Byrne on Reach For Joy prior to race one.

Byrne also made a complaint to stewards about Jones' conduct. Stewards could not be satisfied to the requisite standard but reminded Jones of his obligations to conduct himself in an appropriate manner at all times.

Reach For Joy started $6 and finished unplaced.

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WITH no racing in the Southern District this week, a few trainers will head to Boorowa for the Picnic Cup.

Among the nominations for the $8000 feature are Rick Freyer's in-form duo, Boogie Woogie and Miqyaas, Cryfowl, Zenyasa and Cooee March.

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GALLOPS

Thursday (May 6): Wagga (TAB)

TROTS

Friday: Leeton (TAB)

Tuesday: Albury (TAB)

DOGS

Friday: Wagga (TAB)