Canberra trainer Mick Miladinovic opted to miss the chance of a city win with Gentle Annie to try and lift the Merimbula Jazz Cup at Sapphire Coast on Sunday.
The four-year-old mare is chasing a hat-trick of wins after victories at Sapphire Coast and Nowra and steps up to open class for the first time. But Miladinovic took confidence from a storming win at Nowra.
“She came from nowhere to win. You would have given up on her at the home turn, but she just kept going,” he said. “I think she is well enough weighted even though she only drops a kilo on her last win.”
Gentle Annie will be going for country cup glory.
Photo: Jenny Evans
Kayla Nisbet has been on Gentle Annie for her past two wins, and is unbeaten on the mare. She takes the ride again on Sunday. Miladinovic has nursed Gentle Annie to this point of her career but believes she could develop into a country cups horse.
“There has been tendon problems with some of the horses in her family so we have taken our time with her,” he said. “She has the best legs of the lot so hopefully she will be fine. Im hoping she can get up to 2000 metres and eventually run in some nice cup races.”
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Kayla Nisbet is unbeaten on Gentle Annie so far and will ride her again on Sunday.
Photo: Karleen Minney
Meanwhile, country racing lost one of its great men when former Gilgandra racecaller Bob Foran died this week.
Foran, who was colour blind, retired from the calling box after calling his 60th Gilgandra Cup in 2015 and was given the Special Recognition Award at Racing NSWs Provincial and Country Awards.
"I'll stick to doing the non-TAB races now. Like I said I thought my call today was good and 60 is a good number to go out on," Foran said after his final Gilgandra Cup. "I had my health scare a couple of years back but the man upstairs left me here for a reason and that might have been to get to 60 Cups with my eyes and mind still going okay. All the fuss that has been made has been quite humbling and I was very proud to get my life membership of the club as well."
Race diary: Monday: Ballina. Tuesday: Corowa, Quirindi. Thursday: Coffs Harbour. Friday: Dubbo, Goulburn. Saturday: Mudgee, Narrandera, Walgett.
Racing writer for The Sydney Morning Herald
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