SOUTHERN District's own group-one winning jockey Tyler Schiller is not concerned by a wide barrier as he prepares to try and pilot the Wagga Gold Cup favourite to victory on Friday.
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Schiller has returned home for another Wagga Gold Cup carnival as he looks to improve on a couple of near misses and win the feature race for the first time.
Schiller won his second Albury Gold Cup in March aboard the Annabel Neasham-trained Fawkner Park, who will attempt to become the first horse in 35 years to complete the Albury-Wagga double.
Schiller, whose group one wins tally is now up to three at just age 25, would love nothing more than to come home and claim a Wagga Gold Cup victory.
"It probably means more to me than the Albury one, even though Albury is still in the Riverina, it would be a lot nicer to me, winning the Wagga Cup, being closer to my home town (Young)," Schiller said.
"I've got a good chance, he's come through the Albury Cup really well, I trialled him the other day and he felt terrific so hopefully Fawkner Park can pull out what he did there and steam home late."
Fawkner Park has come up with barrier 19 for the cup and will most likely start from second from the outside.
Schiller isn't worried about the wide gate.
"No, not really. I actually like him getting back and running on more than trying to get up into an uncomfortable spot so if he's in the second half I'd be pretty happy," he explained.
"He's the fit horse, he's the one to beat and I think he's going well enough that he should be very hard to beat.
"I know he's drawn bad but he got back in the Albury Cup and he's got a good turn of foot so I wouldn't be too worried where he is in the run.
"Annabel might want him more forward but we'll see what happens."
Schiller started Wagga Town Plate day with a win on the John O'Shea-trained debutant Snow In May ($1.95) in the 2YO Showcase Handicap (1200m) on Thursday.
He said he looks forward to the opportunity to return home for the Wagga carnival each year.
"There's no pressure, I can just come back and ride and be happy to see all of my old friends and old bosses and everything," he said.
"It's a really good environment to come back to, good for the brain I think."
Schiller isn't the only local connection about the trio of Gold Cup runners for Neasham.
Murrumbidgee Turf Club treasurer Brett Bradley is among the ownership of her other two runners, Spirit Ridge and King Frankel.
"It's very exciting. I was excited when they were both nommed. I wasn't sure if they would both end up coming, we were thinking maybe one here and one at Gosford but as it turns out, Annabel is happy to run them both here, which is good, very exciting," Bradley said.
Bradley found it hard to split his pair.
"King Frankel probably has the better first up form but they're both first-up over 2000 which in itself could be seen as a little bit unusual," he said.
"They've had two good trials, both of them, but Spirit Ridge just seems to be a very happy horse at the moment. I guess if I had to choose one that I'd prefer to win it would be Spirit Ridge just because as a nine-year-old he's done an amazing job as a racehorse, everyone loves him, even Annabel, he's one of her favourites in the stable. She loves him to death and we all do too.
"He's run in the race twice for second initially and then he ran fourth so maybe third time lucky for him. He's only just started his campaign so it's not like it's the end but it would be nice to see him run well."
Bradley has won some of the biggest group one races in the country but would love to snare a Wagga Gold Cup for the first time.
"I think everyone always says they want to win their hometown cup and for me it would be just as satisfying and exciting as anything that we've won so far," Bradley said.
"Group ones are fun and it means a lot if you've got a nice mare or colt but winning the hometown cup would be something else."
