PORT Macquarie trainer Marc Quinn doesn’t believe a six-week break will cause too many problems for Cogliere in Sunday’s Wauchope Cup.
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After the then-three-year-old burst onto the scene with a Country Championship final appearance at Randwick more than a year ago, Cogliere has had a quiet 12 months since.
Quinn believes the now four-year-old gelding is primed for a strong showing in what he expects to be a small Cup field.
“It’ll only be a 12-horse field so with the rail out three metres you’re also mindful that the track favours on speed horses,” Quinn said.
“In saying that, he’s had a 1500 metre race and when he had a 1600 race two starts ago he was up outside the lead so if he can begin well he hopefully can be in the first half a dozen and be strong late.”
Quinn said he trained “beautifully” at Taree a fortnight ago and hopes the gelding can claim his first win at Port Macquarie in three attempts.
“I think he’ll run a really good race on Sunday, but I’m a bit concerned how he’ll handle the track conditions here,” Quinn said.
“He’s never really handled it in the two races he’s had here but they were both 1200-metre races which are unsuitable for him.”
The slightly longer distance over 1500 metres for the Cup will suit the Quinn stable.
Quinn admits rain could dampen his spirits ahead of the Cup on Sunday and felt the four-year-old could return to some of that form he showed on the way to Randwick in 2017.
“He had a really good run as a three-year-old on the back of solid city form as a two year old and that’s why he was aimed at the country champs as a three-year-old,” Quinn said.
“Horses with city form, even if you’re a country horse, is usually a good barometer as to how you will go in the country championships and it worked out well for us at Taree.
“Unfortunately we struck a heavy track at Randwick and it put us out of play.
“He might not have been good enough anyway, but the wet track just gave us pretty much no help.”
The trainer admitted the Wauchope Cup was another stepping stone to the Port Macquarie Cup in October.
“[We had an eye on the] winter country cups on the Mid North Coast starting off with Sunday,” he said.
“If all goes well, three weeks later we’ll go to the South Grafton Cup and then two and a half weeks later there’s the Coffs Cup and then hopefully the Taree Cup in August.
“Then we’ll give him a few days off in the paddock to get him ready for the Port Macquarie Cup in October.”
Cogliere’s six-week break will come to an end on Sunday and Quinn expects him to run well.
“We hope the track isn’t too shifty and he’ll give a good account of himself.