RACING
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MUDGEE trainer Mack Griffith is settling for a top three finish at worst in Saturday's $400,000 Country Championship Final at Royal Randwick.
His gelding Pera Pera, owned by the powerful Goree Stud, is one of the leading contenders following a strong win at the Central Districts Qualifier at Wellington last month.
"He's fit and well and ready to run what we hope will be the race of his life," Griffith said.
The lead up to the rich event, the culmination of a month of Qualifiers held all over the state, has been dominated by one horse - Clearly Innocent.
But with the talented four-year-old's assault on the race thrown into doubt with a stone bruise the odds are even more in Pera Pera's favour.
"I'd be disappointed if he didn't run top three," Griffith said.
"He's up against some very good horses and Clearly Innocent is well weighted but I know he (Pera Pera) is good to go.
"He's got a good jockey on and he's been to Randwick before."
Hugh Bowman has taken on the ride, as he does for the majority of Goree's best horses, despite Aaron Bullock riding Pera Pera to four wins from four rides.
Bowman is coming off a win in last weekend's The BMW with Preferment and is favoured by many to win the Nathan Berry Medal, the prize awarded to the most successful jockey across the two days of The Championships.
"It's a very big plus," Griffith said.
"Aaron is a very good jockey and rode him four times for four wins but Hugh has been riding all of the better horses for Goree."
Pera Pera, who has a record of five wins from 11 starts, has already raced twice at Randwick in the past.
The previous two events were Highway Handicap races, where he finished fifth and then won in a dead heat with Shutter Bug.
"He has been there and done it before and he won't worry about the hype of it all," Griffith said of the progeny of Street Sense and Cara Y Cruz.
"Obviously this is a harder race but the weight is not a problem, he's a big strong horse and it will come down to luck on the day but he's going to run a good race."
After a near-flawless preparation Griffith described the race as his gelding's "grand final" and added a strong start will have him well placed.
"He should be in the first four or five," he said.
"He's got good gate speed so that should put him there and then it's all up to Hugh."
The Country Championship final is the fourth race set down for day one of The Championships and will jump at 1.55pm.