Emerging Tamworth apprentice jockey Casey Waddell will make a 1400 kilometre round trip in a bid to win Saturday's $150,000 SDRA Country Championships Qualifier (1400m) at Wagga.
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Waddell accepted the offer to ride the Chris Heywood-trained Fifty Carats in the feature at Murrumbidgee Turf Club.
The 24-year-old has never been to Wagga but jumped at the opportunity to take a ride in the lucrative heat of the Country Championships.
A former Kiwi, Waddell was one-time apprenticed to champion Sydney trainer Chris Waller and has now established herself as one of the brightest prospects among the apprentice ranks in northern NSW.
Waddell was originally planning to ride in the Highway at Rosehill on Saturday before a change of plan from a trainer opened up her schedule.
Waddell did not hesitate when offered the ride.
"My manager messaged me and said if I could get you a ride in the Country Championships qualifier would you go and I said absolutely," Waddell said.
"I'm not going to turn down a ride in a race like that."
Waddell will arrive in-form, having ridden five winners in the past two weeks.
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She has looked through Fifty Carats form and believes she is making the trip to ride a live hope.
"The distance could be a little bit of a worry but seeing as though she's won over 1200, I don't think it will be too much of a concern," she said.
"It looks like she holds a bit of form as well and a horse like that, with the light weight, she could pop up. Especially with no weight on her back, that helps so much."
Fifty Carats, while the winner of only two races, has a blistering turn of foot when at her best. She also boasts second placings to both Testator Silens and To The Nines, who ran the quinella in the strong south east qualifier at Nowra last Sunday.
It will be Waddell's first ride in a Championships qualifier but she can't wait.
"I was going to have the day off after the Highway ride fell through but once I manager asked, I thought absolutely. I'd love to ride in a race like that," she said.
Heywood had followed Waddell's progress for some time and had no hesitation in offering the young Kiwi the ride.
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