WAGGA trainer Gary Colvin will chase his second Highway Handicap victory in the space of six months at Rosehill on Saturday.
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This time Colvin will head up the highway with popular last-start Wagga carnival winner Monterey Zar, after achieving metropolitan success with Another One back in December.
Monterey Zar was a well-supported winner in the last race on Wagga Gold Cup day and has always shown great promise with two wins and three placings from five starts.
He spent more than two years off the scene with a tendon injury but is back, firing and Colvin believes the time is right to strike a Highway.
"We're going to give him a crack. That's what these races are for," Colvin said.
"He's been pretty good. He won a very strong race at Wagga at the carnival so we thought we would give him a crack.
"He's done really good since. He's really pleased me the way he's trained on since.
"We're not going up there to make up the numbers. He's always shown enough ability and he should improve on a lot on that last run."
Top Sydney apprentice Tommy Sherry will ride Monterey Zar, who is drawn barrier 10 in the $75,000 Class Three Highway Handicap (1200m).
Colvin said it had been satisfying to see Monterey Zar return in such strong fashion, given the time it took to nurse him back from injury.
"We gave him plenty of time because we knew he had a lot of ability," he said.
"It was a long haul getting him back, lots of swimming, work on the treadmill but it's paid dividends at the moment."
Colvin added that Monterey Zar had always been an emotional horse for the stable and connections.
He was bred by the late Les Peet, who passed shortly before Monterey Zar had his first trial.
Meantime, Albury jockey Jordan Mallyon will ride To The Nines in the Highway.
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MURRUMBIDGEE Turf Club held a set of non-raceday trials at Wagga on Wednesday.
Some 25 horses got the opportunity to trial on the Wagga Riverside circuit.
The Mitchell Beer-trained Dream Master ran the quickest time of the morning, clocking 58.69 seconds for his 1000m trial win.
Beer also had Hot Trim trial well, winning the opening heat by five lengths in good relative time for the day.
Wagga trainer Darrel Burnett had unraced filly Secret Disclosure win her 1000m trial by nine lengths.
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RACING NSW has changed the conditions of this year's $1.3 million The Kosciuszko.
To be eligible for this year's feature, horses will need to have been under the care of a NSW country to ACT trainer as of midnight May 17, 2021.
Horses that enter the stable of NSW country or ACT trainer after this date are ineligible for this year's event.
Horses contesting The Kosciuszko must now also remain under the care of an eligible trainer for a minimum of 12 months following the race.
Lastly, horses contesting The Kosciuszko must have had one start under the care of the eligible trainer prior to the race.
"Racing NSW is seeking to ensure that horses racing in The Kosciuszko are genuine country trained horses and meet the intentions of staging this marquee race," Racing NSW chief executive Peter V'landys AM said.
Wagga three-year-old Another One is being targeted towards The Kosciuszko.
He returned to the stables of Gary Colvin this week and will have his campaign aimed towards the October feature for country-trained sprinters.
V'Landys also confirmed the eligibility for the Country Championships in 2022 would also require that horses have been under the care of an eligible trainer from May 17, 2021.
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QUEEN of the South winner Splendiferous was arguably the most impressive winner of the Wagga Gold Cup carnival and she is down for next run on Saturday.
Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott have sent her to Queensland, where she is down to run in the $250,000 The Roses (2000m) at Doomben.
The three-year-old filly has drawn wide in barrier 17.
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TOP Wagga sprinter Forever Newyork is headed to the spelling paddock after finishing as an unplaced favourite at Parkes last Sunday.
The Gary Colvin-trained Forever Newyork ($2.60) finished seventh in the $27,000 Satallite Handicap (1200m) at Parkes.
Colvin reported the track was too firm for Forever Newyork and he has gone for a spell.
Wagga trainer Chris Heywood also had Underwood ($13) run 11th in the same race.
Heywood would have been pleased with Delivered's ($8.50) fast-finishing second in the Benchmark 58 Handicap (1300m).
Colvin also had Zarsnip ($17) finish ninth in the Benchmark 58 Handicap (1000m).
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ALBURY trainer Mitch Beer is set to head to Flemington on Saturday with recently acquired filly Opalescence.
The former Kiwi filly had her first start for the stable in the Wagga Town Plate and beat a few home to finish 13th.
A group three winner in New Zealand, Opalescence will contest the $135,000 3YO Fillies Benchmark 78 Handicap (1400m) with Teo Nugent claiming.
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GOULBURN trainer John Bateman has called time on his career.
Bateman announced this week that he had made the difficult decision to retire from training and plans to relocate to the Sunshine Coast.
Bateman was a regular visitor to the Southern District, where he boasted a good strike rate when making the trek.
Wagga was one of his happiest hunting grounds, enjoying five wins and 16 placegetters from 62 starters at the track.
He also enjoyed success at Tumut and Albury, while his most successful combination was with Southern District jockeys Blaike McDougall and Nick Heywood.
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WHAT'S ON
GALLOPS
Saturday: Young (non-TAB)
Monday: Albury (TAB)
TROTS
Sunday: Wagga (TAB)
Tuesday: Young (TAB)
DOGS
Friday: Wagga (TAB)
Saturday: Young (non-TAB)
