Willby’s hot form fuelling Cup plans
WILLBY RULES will be aimed at next year’s Devonport Cup following an impressive firstup win in a benchmark 74 handicap over 1150 min Devon port yesterday.
The Nigel Schuuringtrained gelding missed the start, but it may have been a blessing in disguise as the rider Brendon McCoull calmly tacked on to the field by the time, they reached the home turn.
When the leader, Gee Gees Jet, drifted off the track turning for home, McCoull took the inside run and the gelded son of West Quest burst clear along the rails and went on to win comfortably from Gee Gees Queenie with Underplay just over a length away third.
“I couldn’t be happier with that effort and now we can look towards the Devonport Cup with more confidence,” Schuuring said. “We’ll target a benchmark race over 1400m and then go to the Golden Mile because that’s our best path to the Devonport Cup.”
Willby Rules campaigned in Victoria in August, but wide draws and unsuitable tracks brought no joy.
LIGHTLY raced three-yearold Artuso delivered a top effort to win a maiden over 1009m to get punters off on the right foot.
The Leanne Gaffneytrained gelded son of Tough Speed trailed the leaders Stellartie ($4.80) and Worthy Opponent ($31) to the home turn.
But when the gap appeared jockey McCoull called on the gelding to sprint and he quickly closed the gap and went on to win by a half-length from Stellartie with Gee Gees Turf Talk over two lengths away third.
Artuso is owned and raced by Mandy Gunn and a small syndicate.
“This gelding is a really nice type and we are hooping he can develop into a very smart sprinter-miler,” Gunn said.