Wagga trainer Gary Colvin will use Sunday's preludes to tell him which way to send his horses on the two big days of the Gold Cup carnival.
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Colvin already has stable star Another One headed to the $200,000 Wagga Town Plate (1200m) and will see if Forever Newyork and Kurocaine are up to joining him at Murrumbidgee Turf Club.
The pair will form Colvin's two-pronged attack on the $40,000 Kooringal Stud Wagga Town Plate Prelude (1200m) on Sunday.
Forever Newyork will kick off his campaign in the prelude. The eight-year-old is a city winner and ran ninth behind Marway in last year's Town Plate but has come up with what should end up as barrier 15.
"You've just got to pray you have a half-decent run," Colvin said.
"He probably needs a good hit-out so we'll see how he goes and he'll tell us whether he's up to the Town Plate or we go to the 74 option.
"I'm probably leading more to the 74 option because he probably needs this run but he can surprise you this horse, when he's right he can do anything.
"I'm confident he's getting there. He trialled alright the other day. His fitness is getting a lot better now."
The secondary option for both Forever Newyork and Kurocaine is the $50,000 Country Magic Benchmark 74 Handicap (1200m) on Wagga Gold Cup day.
Kurocaine won last year's version of that race when it was a Benchmark 66. Colvin hopes the six-year-old can prove good enough to step up to the Town Plate this year.
"He's good, he's been freshened up a bit," he said.
"He's a good horse, we'll see how he goes there and if he's up to it, we'll have a crack at the Town Plate but if he's not, we'll go to the 74 rater too.
"We'll just see how they both go. If they can be pretty competitive in that than it's a good sign because it's a pretty strong race."
Colvin also has Mahsinger, who is third-up, contesting the $45,000 Kooringal Stud Murrumbidgee Cup (1800m). Like with his sprinters, Colvin is using Sunday as a guide.
"She needs a good hit-out over 1800," he said.
"She's probably heading towards that 2000m (Benchmark 66) race on the Thursday but don't worry, if she's competitive in this on Sunday, certainly if she happens to win it, we would put her in the cup.
"She was going good and we took her to Sydney and she was given no hope and we gave her another run and she'd had enough. So we gave her a good spell and she's come back good now, it will be interesting to see how she goes.
"She's a gutsy little thing. It will top her off then that 2000m 66 rating on the Thursday might be her go."
Brock Ryan will partner Mahsinger from barrier four. He will also ride Forever Newyork, while Adrian Layt will ride Kurocaine.
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Meantime, Colvin was happy with Another One's barrier trial at Wagga on Thursday. He ran a close second to 2020 Wagga Town Plate winner Irish Songs as the pair went to the line together.
"It was good. Very happy," Colvin said.
"I wasn't going to trial him but I decided to and I'll just freshen him right up now. He went good, he had a good hit-out with Irish Songs, it was really good, I was rapt.
"I'll just keep poking him around, he might have another gallop but he feels good. I can't believe he pulled up so good after the Championships."
Colvin will also have three race at Canberra on Friday, headed by Nic's Hero in the $34,000 TAB Federal (1400m).
"He was a bit disappointing last start," Colvin said.
"I just don't know why but he went pretty ordinary. We'll try him over there on a nice big track, good gate and see how he goes."
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