IT IS full steam ahead to Friday week’s $150,000 Wagga Gold Cup (2000m) for High Opinion after a fighting victory at Murrumbidgee Turf Club on Tuesday.
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Wagga trainer Chris Heywood will push on to next week’s feature race full of confidence after the four-year-old stayer returned to top form with victory in the Viewco Glass MTC Country Cup (2000m).
While the win should see High Opinion secure a place in the Cup field, the availability of Southern District’s top apprentice jockey, Nick Heywood, remains unclear pending an appeal.
Nick was suspended at Gosford on Monday and, as it currently stands, will miss the two big days of the Wagga carnival.
The suspension was initially going to be served and finished before the Town Plate but after some confusion the dates changed to next week.
Nick has appealed the suspension and applied for a stay of proceedings and his father Chris said they will simply have to wait and see if Nick will be available to ride High Opinion in the Cup.
“We will worry about it if it happens,” Chris said.
The young gun highlighted his ability with a winning treble on Tuesday courtesy of High Opinion ($4.00), Miss Farloo ($17.00) and Marchello ($7.00).
Chris said it was the advice of Nick that helped High Opinion return to form on Tuesday.
“Taking the blinkers off made the difference,” he said.
“We work him with nothing but heading into Corowa a few runs back we thought we had nothing to lose by throwing the blinkers on.
“He ran second in the Albury Cup and we thought we had done the right thing but at his last two starts he hasn’t let down.
“Nick said to take them off and it’s done the trick.”
Another decision that paid off was the one to ride High Opinion closer to the speed. The son of Lord Jim settled outside the lead and fought on tenaciously in the straight.
“I said to Nick that we had nothing to lose,” he said.
“There was no speed in the race.
“We will probably go back to riding him a bit quieter next week because there will be a lot more speed in the race.”
Heywood believes the win will be enough to secure High Opinion a start.
[JOB DONE: Wagga apprentice Nick Heywood, aboard High Opinion, returns after winning the MTC Country Cup. Picture: Kieren L Tilly]
JOB DONE: Wagga apprentice Nick Heywood, aboard High Opinion, returns after winning the MTC Country Cup. Picture: Kieren L Tilly
“Because he’s won his benchmark rating should go up to 74, that should get him in,” he said.
“The plan was always to come to this race and get the win. I’m pretty happy with him going into next week.”
It was an all Wagga finish to the MTC Country Cup with High Opinion finishing a half length in front of Video Show, with Jo Jo Girl a further length away in third place.
Both Video Show and Jo Jo Girl put in promising Cup trials but will have to play the waiting game to see if they can secure a start.
