Taree trainer Glen Milligan hold the aces in Tuesday’s Wingham Cup saddling-up last year’s race winner Texas Storm as well as the stable’s in-form mare That’s Molly.
Texas Storm’s intervening 12 months has been more trial than tribulation but trainer Glen Milligan has seen enough in the 65-start veteran to give him an opportunity to defend his Wingham Cup crown.
“He was only going fair before I sent him up to Lawrie Mayfield-Smith who gave him a few runs up there in Queensland and he was disappointed with him,’’ Milligan explained.
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“We thought maybe he’s ready to retire, he is eight going on nine, but we brought him home and he ran a bottler in the Scone Country Cup over the carnival.
“And his run at Newcastle the other day was very good without getting much galloping room.’’
Texas Storm will be ridden in the Cup by Andrew Gibbons taking over from Milligan’s apprentice Zac Wadick.
“Zac Wadick won the Cup on Texas Storm last year, and he’s got off him to ride That’s Molly so he thinks a bit more of her,’’ said Milligan.
It’s not hard to see why Wadick would make the switch.
That’s Molly has been something of an ‘eye-catcher’ at her last two starts, both of them in Highways.
‘’Her run the other day was good in town, it was a pretty hot Highway I thought,’’ Milligan said.
“She is stepping up in grade to Open company but she gets in with no weight on her back and she loves it here at her home track.’’
That’s Molly, a grand-daughter of VRC and Australian Oaks winner Grand Archway, hasn’t won beyond 1400m but Milligan for one, is more than comfortable with her seeing out a strong mile in Tuesday’s feature.
Trainer Glen Milligan with stable star Charmmebaby. Picture: Shane Chalker
“I think she wants 2000m to be honest with you,’’ he said. “She is happy to jump out and just settle.
“She gets a little further back than I would like at times but she’s going good so we thought we would run her at home and give her a chance.
“We were debating whether to give her a freshen-up and maybe look at the Taree Cup in November with her.
“Anyway, we’ll decide after Tuesday whether we keep going with her. As we know, when mares are on form, you keep racing them.’’
That’s Molly boasts a second champion mare on her family tree apart from Grand Archway.
Her sixth dam is the immortal Queenslander Eye Liner won 14 of her 25 starts, her first nine in fact, culminating in her 1965 Champagne Stakes win beating Reisling.
A wide alley hasn’t done Milligan’s So You Think three-year-old Killzy any favours when he resumes in the Workwise Class 1 Handicap (1262m).
“He is a hard horse to get a gauge on,’’ Milligan said. “He is never a great worker.
‘’He has had one jump-out over the half mile (800m) and we were happy enough with him but his work since then and before that was only average.
“The plan would be to let him settle where he is happy and try and get some cover and see whether he can finish off.’’
Milligan has two runners in the Upbound Country Boosted Maiden Plate (1007m) namely Tayla’s One and The Percentage.
“Zac came back after Armidale and said (Tayla’s One) should have won. Whatever she does on Tuesday she is going to be looking for further.
“The Percentage has only had five runs for me. He’s on an auction site Tuesday night, win, lose or draw.
“He’ll win a race or two no doubt but we’re just losing patience with him.’’