A fourth win in the Listed Raine and Horne Wagga Wagga Cup (2000m) for owner Richard Pegum and a fifth for Chris Waller as the import Wicklow (IRE) scored a hard-fought victory in the $200,000 feature on Friday.
Ridden by Prett Prebble, the 5yo son of Twilight Son (GB) came from second last to earn his maiden stakes success.
Lion’s Roar (Contributer) was back with Wicklow (GB) on the turn, but Prebble made the first run on the winner. Lion’s Roar charged home to be beaten a nose with the winner’s stablemate Kukeracha (Night Of Thunder), a short-neck back in third.
It earned Wicklow (IRE) a golden ticket to the $2,000,000 The Big Dance in November.
Wicklow (IRE) placed in two of his three starts in England for Tony Ward.
His overall record advances to six wins, a second and three thirds from 18 starts, with earnings of $510,147.
“It’s the 150th Wagga Cup, so it is fantastic, and what a great ride,” Pegum enthused.
“It’s my fourth Wagga Cup and a wonderful training performance by Chris Waller.”
Winning jockey Brett Prebble was making his first trip to Wagga Wagga.
“Things didn’t go his way from a horror draw. He is a nice horse, and I think he is still learning his craft. He was a bit on the chewy last time I rode him, but today he was relaxed in the yard and raced accordingly.”
A half-brother to the Group II ATC Ajax Stakes runner-up Waterford (Awtaad), Wicklow (IRE) is the best of three winners from four to race for the Soldier Of Fortune mare Wake Up.
It is a family that has touched all corners of the globe as a Wake Up is a half-sister to Wild King (Samum), the Champion 3YO Colt in Spain in 2017, and Path Wind (Anabaa) a Listed winner in Germany and runner-up in the Group 1 Roma Premio Lydia Tesio and dam of Panjari (Camelot) a stakes-winner in Germany and Italy.
Bred by Kildaragh Stud, Wicklow (IRE) is the seventh stakes-winner for Cheveley Park Stud’s Twilight Son (Kyllachy).
