The now Chris Waller-trained import Illo heads a capacity field of stayers set to face off in this Friday’s Wagga Wagga Gold Cup 2013 having just their second start for their new trainer.

Moriarty is one of two chances in the 2013 Wagga Gold Cup for in-form Sydney trainer Chris Waller. Photo: Steve Hart.

Set to run as Wagga Race 7 at 4:20pm (AEST) this year’s $140,000 Listed Thomas Feary Painting Wagga Wagga Gold Cup (2000m) has drawn a full field of 16 confirmed starters plus four emergencies looking for share in the prize money.

To carry the 58kg top-weight with the No. 1 saddlecloth and Hugh Bowman riding is Tertullian seven-year-old Illo, originally bought over from Germany to train with Bart Cummings for the 2011 Melbourne Cup.

They failed to run out the 3200m for that assignment two years back however when 19^th to Dunaden in the ‘race that stops a nation’ and is still yet to win a race down under.

Transferred from Cummings’ to Waller earlier this year Illo showed nice improvement from a disappointing spring when finishing a first-up third to class mare Skyerush in the Group 3 Doncaster Prelude (1600m) on April 13, an effort they will be out to improve on when they jump from gate five in the Wagga Gold Cup this week.

Waller will also be represented in the Wagga Gold Cup field by the 57.5kg second top-weight Moriarty who has drawn double digits with barrier 12 but who will come into nine with emergencies out.

The Clodovil five-year-old was in top form during the summer winning the Listed Tattersalls Club Cup (2000m) and the Listed Gosford Cup (2100m) back-to-back in January before returning off a three month break to run a credible fifth in the Doncaster Prelude – an effort they will improve on getting back up to the 2000m on Friday.

Following Waller’s duo in the Wagga Cup odds are then Ron Quinton’s Starcraft mare Crafty Irna (56.5kg) who has drawn gate 18 and Craig Carmody’s High Chaparral gelding Single in barrier three with Nathan Berry to ride.

Also with multiple entries along with Waller is then Euroa-based Hall of Famer David Hayes who will be represented by his Easter Cup third placegetter Whisper Downs and consistent grey Auld Burns drawn in gates 14 and 16 respectively.

Auld Burns is also nominated for a 2000m open handicap at Flemington and is likely to be scratched out of the Wagga Cup in favour of a run at home according to Lindsay Park Racing stable manager Jason Timperley.

“The chance of running one is I’d say 90 per cent, but we won’t run two,” he said.

“Whisper Downs has been in good form lately, but either one of them would be very competitive.

“At this stage I think we are leaning towards Whisper Downs.

“One will go to Flemington and the other will head to Wagga.”

Of the local hopes the best fancied is likely to be the Tim Donnerly-trained Galileo gelding Devised who won the Murrumbidgee Cup at the track over 1800m last start.

In the Murrumbidgee Cup on April 14^th Devised jumped from barrier 15 of 16 and carried a hefty 59kg to victory, the five-year-old to relish the drop back to 54.5kg and their nice gate four draw for their local Cup clash.

Other notable horses in the mix then include known wet-tracker Maules Creek coming off a fourth to Kelinni in the JRA Plate, the Nick Olive-trained Canberra galloper Fullerton, recent Gundagai Cup winner Al Ahmar also from Canberra and first emergency Falklands.

Check out the full 2013 Wagga Wagga Gold Cup final field, barriers, jockeys and weights below.

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2013 Wagga Wagga Gold Cup Final Field & Barrier Draw

Wagga Race 7 – 4:20pm (AEST) – 03/05/2013