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Newcastle jockey Andrew Gibbons will be aiming for another big north coast feature win this week when he teams with the Kim Moore-trained Delago Star in Thursday's $70,000 Carlton Mid Coffs Harbour Cup.
Photo by Racing and Sports
The hard working jockey was rewarded with his biggest career win at Grafton last month when he won the $130,000 Ramornie Handicap on Jerezana for the Peter Snowden stable.
Gibbons will be having his first ride on Delago Star, the winner of nine races including the Port Macquarie Cup and Wyong Magic Mile.
The eight-year-old, third over 1800m at Randwick last month before his last start eighth over 2000m at Rosehill, is among 30 entries that includes numerous nominations from Sydney and Queensland stables.
Gai Waterhouse will decide after trackwork on Monday morning if she will start her talented multiple Sydney winner Daintree Road for the Coffs Harbour Cup.
Waterhouse, yet to win a Coffs Harbour Cup, entered Daintree Road on the advice of Mark Newnham, a long serving stable jockey and trackwork rider.
Newnham has close connections with Coffs Harbour and urged the trainer to set a horse for the feature race.
Daintree Road is the winner of six of his 16 starts including three on metropolitan tracks.Newnham has ridden Daintree Road in six races for wins at Newcastle twice and another at Kembla Grange and will be aboard the gelding on Thursday if he starts.
Melbourne star Danny Nikolic will be riding at the Coffs Harbour carnival on Wednesday and Thursday but is too heavy to continue his association with last year's winner Mossurmi in the Coffs Harbour Cup.
Trainer Marc Conners has booked lightweight Sydney jockey Jeff Penza to ride Mossurmi, who carried 54.4kg when he was ridden by Nikolic to beat Long Journey Home and Slick Sniper in last year's Coffs Harbour Cup.
“Danny would have had the ride again but Mossurmi has only 53kg this year and he is too heavy to take the ride,” Conners said.
Mossurmi will return in similar form to last year as he strives to be the first horse to win back to back Coffs Harbour Cups since 1949.
Last year he headed to Coffs Harbour off a second placing at Rosehill and heads north this year on the back of his second on the Kensington track at Randwick on July 27.
Takeover Target's jockey Jay Ford will ride Topping for Toowoomba trainer Michael Nolen and Glen Lynch has been retained by Wyong trainer Stephen Farley for South Grafton Cup winner Gazza Guru.
Gold Coast stables hold a strong hand with Scott Seamer booked to ride the Alicia Willick-trained Silent Movie and Glen Colless aboard Brave The Way for Alan Bailey.