Wagga Wagga Country Championship - Sunday, 15 March 2015
Visit - Murrumbidgee Turf Club
Brett is Loved Up with The Championships
Brett Cavanough said he couldn’t wait to arrive on the big stage on day one of The Championships at Royal Randwick after his filly Loved Up earned a spot in the Country Series final thanks to an explosive finish to win Wagga Wagga’s $100,000 qualifying race on Sunday, March 15.
Loved Up will be joined by runner-up Yet Tobe Convinced in the $300,000 final on April 4, in a concept that country trainers thoroughly deserved to be a part of according to Cavanough.
“Everyone deserves a crack at the big cherry and now we’ve got one. It’s great to put us on the stage,” he said.
“She’s got a great turn of foot and we’ll take her to the Albury Guineas before Randwick.” Loved Up’s jockey Richard Bensley timed his run perfectly in going past Yet Tobe Convinced inside the final 50 metres.
And his effort will be rewarded by Cavanough.
“We’ll take Richie up with us to ride in the final, we won’t use a city jockey,” Cavanough said. “The big occasion won’t worry him at all.”
Yet Tobe Convinced’s trainer Scott Spackman couldn’t hide his enjoyment at making the final.
“We’re going, we’re going,” he said. “I’m over the moon about it and she’s such a tough mare. It was unbelievable to see her do that first-up. “She’ll improve off that run and she’ll have to.”
The meeting again highlighted the popularity of The Championships series with NSWTAB turnover being 52 per cent higher than a comparable Wagga Wagga meeting in March 2014.
Additionally, turnover grew by 30 per cent with interstate TABs and jumped by 100 per cent with corporate bookmakers.
RESULTS