STEWARDS will conduct an inspection of the Gundagai track on Thursday afternoon ahead of the two-day Snake Gully Cup carnival.
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All eyes are on the weather leading up to this year's carnival with varying predictions of anywhere from two to four inches of rain expected to fall on Thursday and Friday.
Southern District chief steward Liam Martin intends to inspect the track on Thursday afternoon and again on Friday morning to ensure everything is in order ahead of the big couple of days.
"The club is confident. They received 70 mils last week and the forecast is for 30 (on Thursday) and another 20 early on Friday," Martin said.
"It has downgraded a little bit. It's probably 50-50. I'll watch the radar (on Thursday) and go out there in the afternoon and have a look at it.
"Then I'll have another look early Friday morning."
The Gundagai track was rated a soft six on Wednesday and had dried out well from last week's rain.
Gundagai-Adelong Racing Club has sold 2200 tickets for the popular raceday, complying with the latest COVID-19 restrictions.
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A CARELESS riding suspension picked up at Canberra on Melbourne Cup day has ruled Kayla Nisbet out of this year's Snake Gully Cup day.
Nisbet is one of the most successful jockeys when it comes to the Snake Gully Cup, having won the race back-to-back in 2017-18.
In 2017, she guided Mercurial Lad to victory, before helping Trevor Sutherland to win the race the year after with My Maher.
Nisbet is free to ride on the second day of the Gundagai carnival, but is out for Snake Gully Cup day.
She would have been likely to team up with Gundagai trainer David Blundell to ride hometown hope Thistledo in the feature, having ridden the horse at his past two starts.
Michael Heagney has picked up the ride on Thistledo.
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SUCCESSFUL Gundagai owner-breeder Sandy Tait almost added another group one to his collection in Melbourne Cup week.
Tait and his wife Kathy were represented by Douceur, who ran a gallant second in the $1 million Kennedy Oaks (2500m).
Douceur, a $21 chance, hit the front early in the straight for Michael Dee and fought tenaciously to be just downed by Godolphin's $3.70 favourite Willowy on the line.
While much of Tait's success comes through breeding, Douceur was a rare purchase when he snapped the filly up from the 2020 Inglis Ready 2 Race Sale for $125,000.
Her second placing in the Oaks took her career earnings to date past $278,000.
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LEADING Southern District trainer Mitch Beer is off to Moonee Valley on Friday night.
Beer is set to scratch his latest New Zealand import Medal from the $60,000 Maiden Plate (1200m) in preference of a start at Canberra or Wangaratta.
But he is set to take Perfect Illusion to Moonee Valley for the $60,000 Benchmark 70 Handicap (2040m).
Perfect Illusion is yet to win in 17 Australian starts but enjoyed four city placings last preparation.
"He was terrible first up (at Cootamundra) but he's a funny horse like that, all you have to do is spit on ground and he won't go," Beer explained.
"There is a perfect race for him on Wodonga Cup day. He'll take a race or two to get up and going and this is a lovely race for him.
"There is some nice 2000 metre races around for him where he's not going to have to carry a heap of weight. We'll probably even get him over 3000 metres this prep."
Teo Nugent will take the ride.
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JERILDERIE sprinter Mr Moppett is also in at Moonee Valley on Friday night.
Southern District premiership-winning jockey Blaike McDougall, who has enjoyed great success since his move to Melbourne, will take the ride.
The Phil Sweeney-trained sprinter is first-up in the $60,000 55 Second Challenge Heat (955m) and is drawn barrier seven.
Albury trainer Laura McCullum also has Mrs O'Malley in the $60,000 Benchmark 64 Fillies and Mares Handicap (1200m).
The mare has drawn barrier 14 and has 62 kilograms but will be helped by the three kilogram claim of Campbell Rawiller.
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ANOTHER couple of well-performed Southern District gallopers have been retired.
The Mitch Beer-trained Jawwaal has been retired after pulling up from his most recent run at Wagga with an injury concern.
Jawwaal won four races and $114,000 in earnings. He will be perhaps best remembered for his 11-length romp at Albury last year, before going on to run second at Flemington later that preparation.
He pulled up with a tendon injury after that run and was unable to reach his best again following surgery.
The Maddy Collins-trained Withorn has also been retired.
Withorn may have only won the three races but will forever be remembered by Collins after providing her with her first winner as a trainer in May last year.
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COROWA stablehand Paul Duryea has been suspended for a month.
Duryea fronted stewards on a misconduct charge at Albury last Friday.
Stewards found Duryea guilty of engaging in improper conduct whilst in the vicinity of the tie up stalls following the running of the Class Two Handicap (1400m).
Duryea was suspended for a period from November 6 to December 5.
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FORMER Southern District premiership-winning jockey John Kissick is nearing a return.
Kissick has been sidelined since the Wagga Gold Cup carnival with a broken leg. He returned to trackwork on Wednesday and hopes to be back race riding in coming weeks.
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WHAT'S ON
GALLOPS
Friday: Gundagai (TAB)
Saturday: Gundagai (TAB)
TROTS
Friday: Wagga (TAB)
Tuesday: Leeton (TAB)
DOGS
Friday: Wagga (TAB)
Saturday: Temora (TAB)