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Leading trainer Guy Walter has pinned his hopes of claiming his fifth Goulburn Cup and third in succession on Sunday with last start Warwick Farm winner Brightest.
Photo by Racing and Sports
Walter has scratched Saturday's Rosehill acceptor Forarainyday from the Goulburn Cup, a $100,000 dress rehearsal for next month's G2 Villiers Stakes, to rely on Brightest with Rod Quinn to ride the mare.
Walter and Quinn combined to win the Goulburn Cup in 2010 with Willy Jimmy, giving the Warwick Farm trainmer his third win in the race.
Walter, who has developed a large satelllite stable at Goulburn, won the Cup for the first time in 2003 with Market Unit (Hugh Bowman) and made it a double with Nothin' Leica (danny Beasley) in 2004.
Willy Jimmy's win in 2012 was followed last year by Walter's fourth winner Straight Albert, ridden by Kathy O'Hara.
Walter says Brightest is in the right form to play a big hand in Sunday's race but admits this year's Goulburn Cup is by far the strongest field to contest the race due to the prizemoney rising to six figures.
Brightest was having only her second start after returning from a spell when she won over 1400m at Warwick Farm on November 10 carrying 57.5kg against her own sex.
She drops to the limit weight of 54kg in the Goulburn Cup and is drawn to enjoy a good run from gate three in the big field.
Walter could have two starters as he also has second emergency Tiger Territory only a scratching away from gaining run.
Walter's early withdrawal of Forarainyday has given a start to the first emergency Browden, a highly promising four-year-old trained at Hawkesbury by Gary Frazer.
Browden has only raced five times for four wins and will bid to make up for the narrow defeat of stablemate Scottish Border in last year's Goulburn Cup.
"Browden is on the way up and drops a lot in weight from the 59.5 he carried to win his last start at Goulburn," said Frazer, who has since given the big gelding a winning barrier trial on his home track.
Apprentice jockey David Pisani has ridden Browden in all his wins and has been rewarded with the ride as he tries to land the biggest race of his career.
Kembla Grange trainer Bede Murray has made an early decision to scratch Alma's Fury from his Rosehill engagement on Saturday to run at Goulburn despite his wide barrier draw.
Gai Waterhouse is striving to win her first Goulburn Cup with the topweight Kinnersley.
The interesting runner is staying prospect Maximus Gladiator who won four races in succession last campaign and has trialled strongly in preparation for his return to racing.
Nathan Tinkler's Patinack Farm stable will be looking for a moral;e boosting win with Isopach, a top chance following his last start second in the G3 Hawkesbury Cup won by Darci Be Good on November 8.