Trainer Graham Byatt set to back up Blazing Zone in the Wagga Gold Cup

Wagga trainer Graham Byatt is likely to back up Blazing Zone in Friday's $200,000 Gold Cup (2000m) after gaining a start as the first emergency.

There has been three scratchings for the feature race, with the top weight Young Rascal, High Opinion and Skelm all opting for races at Gosford on Saturday instead.

Tumut stayer Bouddi has also gained a start as second emergency but will not go around again after finishing sixth on Town Plate day on Thursday.

"We only accepted in case I didn't get a run today. I needed a run," Tumut trainer Kerry Weir said.

Blazing Zone went around in the same race, The Daily Advertiser Benchmark 66 Showcase Handicap (2000m) and ran fifth.

Unfortunately he has again drawn badly and will start from the outside gate, in what is likely to be a field of 14.

"He seems to have pulled up good so we'll go around (on Friday)," Byatt said.

"He actually didn't pull up too bad in his wind and that. He seems to have recovered pretty quick.

"The owners want him to go around and I thought if he pulls up alright we can go around again. So I'll see how he is in the morning but he seems to have pulled up alright."

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Blazing Zone was formerly trained by Trevor Sutherland and has been in Byatt's care this preparation, where he has been knocking on the door of late.

He made up good ground on Thursday to be beaten just under three lengths by Aperol Sprint.

"He actually jumped out of the gates good today and probably could have been up midfield-ish but then you're probably going to be caught four and five deep so he had to go back and hope for a bit of luck and that's how he rode him," Byatt said.

"He went good, it was a good solid run. Brad (Vale) said he much prefers to come down the outside then going between other horses. He generally does come down the outside, that's the first time he's been right in hard among them and there was no room there. He just lost that momentum."

Byatt, from Tumbarumba, is excited by the prospect of his first Wagga Gold Cup runner.

"It's very exciting," he said.

"It's going to be a lot tougher field, we'll probably ride him similar and he'll drop an extra couple of kilos again from today so we'll see how we go."

Bradley Vale will again take the ride on Blazing Zone.

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