Michael Mulholland might insist the Central District Country Championships Qualifier is just a chance for Dubbo Wanderer to learn, but the rising three-year-old shapes as a genuine outside chance in the $150,000 event.
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Dubbo Wanderer will be the most inexperienced starter in Sunday's feature event at Mudgee Race Club, having had just the five previous starts.
But in those races the gelding has shown plenty of potential and he heads to Mudgee with a record of two wins and a placing in his past three starts.
"Every start he has, he improves, and that's what I like about him," Mulholland said.
"In his first start (this preparation) he won and he did a lot of things wrong but he still won. At Bathurst he did a lot of things won and lost but he should have won. And then at Orange he improved again and he got a lot of things right."
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Mulholland's plan was originally to set Dubbo Wanderer towards the 2023 Country Championships series and set stablemate Athena's Lad towards this year's 1400m qualifier at Mudgee.
But the five-year Athena's Lad, with a record of five wins in 13 starts, "pulled up a little sore" recently and that, combined with Dubbo Wanderer's performances, changed things.
"He's been going great. He just keeps ticking over and doing well," Mulholland said.
"This will be learning curve for next year but hopefully he improves and then hopefully improves a bit more next year.
"I had this horse half-lined up. I thought he would be good enough to win a couple of races and get there. It's just one of those things.
"He'll have this run and if he doesn't run anywhere he'll head to the paddock."
The first two horses past the post in Sunday's event will qualify for April's $500,000 Country Championships Final.
Mulholland won last year's heat with Old Harbour but the promising gelding was injured in the lead-up to the final and unable to compete.
Dubbo Wanderer was a $9.50 chance on Friday afternoon while Bathurst trainer Gayna Williams dominated the market.
The leading Bathurst trainer is the one to beat at Mudgee, with the exciting Zoo Station a $2.30 favourite while stablemates Tags ($5) and former finalist El Mo ($19) are also firmly in the mix.
"It's a very strong team and they're weighted to win as well," Mulholland said of Williams' hopes.
El Mo was handed the 59kg top weight for Sunday's race and will be ridden by Kath Bell-Pitomac, who piloted Old Harbour to victory last year.
Tags will carry 56kg while Zoo Station will have just 55kg on her back.
Dubbo Wanderer will also have 56kg and will be ridden by Jake Pracey-Holmes, who was in the saddle for the past three starts.
Sunday's feature race jumps at 4.45pm.
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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.
