ALBURY trainer Donna Scott believes she has Our Last Cash primed for a first-up assault on the $200,000 Wagga Town Plate.
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Our Last Cash will be one of three Southern District representatives in the race and has been kept safe by bookmakers on the third line of betting at $8.00.
Scott is keen to get Our Last Cash back to Flemington this preparation, where he's won two of his three starts at the track, but pinpointed the Wagga Town Plate a long way back as his first-up assignment.
"He's ready to go," Scott declared.
"This campaign we obviously want to look to get back to Flemington. I think he'll appreciate a bit of give in the track, we're targeting Flemington in the winter time but this was always going to be our starting off race, the Town Plate.
"We've prepped him for this, obviously he's got a bit of form first-up, he's had a couple of trials and he's drawn a nice gate.
"It's a tough race, no doubt, he ran in a listed race last prep but this is a lot harder than his Flemington wins."
Our Last Cash was an impressive winner at Flemington first-up last campaign.
He's had two trials in preparation for the Town Plate. Both have been quiet with Simon Miller partnering him at Benalla, before Blaike McDougall made the trip to Wagga to ride him in a trial last Sunday week.
Our Last Cash finished eight and a half lengths behind the winner, the unraced Cooee, in the trial.
Scott admitted she was slightly concerned before getting the chance to talk to McDougall, who sticks for the Town Plate.
"I just leave these things up to Blaike. He knew, this has obviously been in the pipeline for a while and Blaike was going to come and ride him. I gave him that trial at Benalla and he is a light horse and he doesn't need much. When Blaike got on and see him, there was no point, he didn't need to have a gut-buster," she explained.
"Blaike probably knows me, I hate horses winning trials but I was a bit concerned, the owners were there, but Blaike got off and said he's good. He gave him a nice feel when he gave him a squeeze and then he just bought him back.
"I said I wanted his honest opinion and he said he's happy to ride him. He tucked him in there behind them, he gave him a squeeze, he let down nicely and he just tucked him away.
"He galloped here Tuesday morning and the e-trakka said he galloped well."
Scott, one of the leading trainers in the Southern District in recent times, has led the charge with Country Championships but is yet to win one of the majors at the Albury and Wagga carnivals.
She hopes Our Last Cash can deliver the goods.
"You always want to win your big local races," she said.
"It's like the City Handicap, those sort of races, it would be great to win as a local, but it's good that there are a few locals like Doug Gorrel and Ron Stubbs, there's a few local trainers so hopefully one of us can get it."