Racehorse TALK

 Wednesday, 28 April 2010
Former Irish Galloper Nominated For Wagga Cup (7th May)

By Grahame Timbrell

Imported Irish galloper Balsaltico, which was brought to Australia last year by Luca Cumani for the Melbourne Cup only to be sold at the last minute to an Australian syndicate, has been nominated for the Listed $130,000 Shep’s Earthmoving Repairs Wagga Wagga Cup (2000m) on Friday week (May 7).

Balsaltico is one of two horses nominated for the cup by Warwick Farm trainer Guy Walter. He has also nominated Twin Wing which finished third in last year’s Grafton Cup.

If Balsaltico starts in the cup it will be the fourth step in a long-range plan to win this year’s Melbourne Cup with him. Last year Balsaltico finished only 18th, beaten more than 11 lengths after scraping into the field at the last minute.

He was the last horse into the race after a series of scratching and after Zipping became cast under the barrier stalls before the Mackinnon Stakes on the Saturday before the cup.

Bookmaker and punter Matt Tripp, who bought into the horse and then backed him in the Melbourne Cup to win $5million, said Balsaltico would be back for this year’s Melbourne Cup.

Other members of the syndicate which bought Balsaltico, for a reported $700,000, include former Australian cricketer Simon O’Donnell and Brownlow Medallist, Shane Crawford.

Meanwhile, Scouting Wide, the winner of the Listed-Christmas Cup at Rosehill last December, and Morcambe Bay, the winner of last year’s Grafton Guineas, will both be nominated by Tim Martin for the Wagga Cup.

Scouting Wide has had only one start back from a spell but was beaten less than two lengths when fifth behind Bay Window over 1400-metres at Randwick on April 17.

Morcambe Bay, which won the Mornington Handicap (2100m) at the Tamworth Cup carnival two weeks ago, will have her final start in the cup before going for a spell.

“Morcambe Bay will definitely start in the cup but we are undecided about Scouting Wide,” Martin said. “That is something I have to discuss with the owners. There is also a race worth $100,000 at Rosehill the next day.

“It is a real shame that they have a feature race on over the same distance in Sydney the day after the cup. It certainly does not help Wagga.”

That race is the $100,000 Lord Mayors Cup, also over 2000m.

Leica Larrikin, the winner of the Murrumbidgee Cup and younger brother to Leica Falcon, has also be been nominated for the cup.

Nominations for both days of the Wagga Wagga carnival close at 11am this Friday (April 30).