Two prelude events for the looming Gold Cup meeting did exactly what they expected to do at Dubbo Turf Club on Monday.
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The annual Gold Cup day is September 16 but Monday’s meeting featured a cup and sprint prelude event.
Gayna Williams was delighted to see Wild Cavalier take out the main event, the Dubbo City Toyota Dubbo Cup Prelude (1420m) while hometown hope Joey’s Destiny stormed to victory in the Gold Cup Sprint Prelude (1120m).
Both trainers said their hopes will return to the track before their respective features, Wild Cavalier now targeting victory in the $60,000 Dubbo Gold Cup (1600m) while Joey’s Destiny is set to line up in the $40,000 Dubbo Cup Day Showcase Flying Handicap (1100m).
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“I’m really, really thrilled,” Williams told Sky Thorughbred Central after Greg Ryan got Wild Cavalier to surge home and win ahead of Red Knot in a photo on Monday.
“I wasn’t sure if he would get around Red Knot but he went really well and fought today.”
Lundholm was even more delighted, returning to form in a big way on Monday after a battling a virus which sidelined all of his horses for a couple of months.
He scored a winning treble at his hometown track but Joey’s Destiny was the most impressive, taking out the sprint prelude event by more than five lengths.
“It feels good to get these three winners today. There’s been a lot of work from my whole team and my old man, we all work hard together and that virus really knocked us around,” he said after Joey’s Destiny became his third winner inside five races.
“I really thought he (Joey’s Destiny) trialed really well the other day and he’s just glowing, he’s found another leg and is going really well.
“You never know on these wet tracks but he blitzed them.”
Joey’s Destiny won as a $3.30 favourite from well-performed sprinter Molasses and Kody Nestor’s Kenny Succeed, and the place-getters are also likely to feature in the Flying Handicap next month.
The prelude wins were part of a winning treble for jockey Ryan as well, having won the day’s first race with Lundholm’s Skullharderson.
Nick Guthrie
I started working at the Daily Liberal in 2013 and now hold the position of senior journalist. I cover all that's happening in sport in Dubbo and the wider western area and have a passion for doing so. If you've got a story that needs telling, reach out.
I started working at the Daily Liberal in 2013 and now hold the position of senior journalist. I cover all that's happening in sport in Dubbo and the wider western area and have a passion for doing so. If you've got a story that needs telling, reach out.
