The 2023 Wagga Wagga Gold Cup takes place this Friday featuring a quality line-up of autumn / winter staying types led in betting by the Chris Waller-trained Wicklow.

Wicklow is favourite to take out the 2023 Wagga Wagga Gold Cup this Friday. Photo: Steve Hart.
This year’s Listed $200,000 Wagga Wagga Gold Cup (2000m) offers Big Dance eligibility for the lucrative Sydney feature held on Melbourne Cup Day on the first Tuesday of November.
Waller has an outstanding Wagga Wagga Gold Cup record preparing four winners including last year’s champion Aleas.
He returns saddling-up a bumper five runners in 2023 including the top elect Wicklow who sits top of the Wagga Wagga Gold Cup odds at $4.80 through Ladbrokes.com.au.
Brett Prebble is tasked with the ride from the extreme outside alley (22 into 16) aboard Wicklow with the Irish-bred Twilight Son gelding presenting fit third-up.
Fifth in the inaugural The Big Dance results last November the horse comes off another fifth placing at Hawkesbury over 1500m on April 22 carrying 58.5kg and will relish coming back to 54kg on Friday.
The other Waller-trained Wagga Wagga Gold Cup runners this season are former Melbourne Cup performer Great House ($9.50), his 2021 Queensland Derby champion Kukeracha ($23), Lord Ardmore ($6.50) well supported in barrier three after a credible Hawkesbury Cup sixth last time out, and Otyrar ($31).
One of the key dangers to Waller and his contingent include the John Sargent-trained Redwood mare Pink Ivory ($7.50) and French import Bois D’argent ($10), third on debut down under in last October’s Rosehill Cup (2000m), for trainer Annabel Neasham drawn out wide second-up.
Pink Ivory brings in some strong form lines having run second in the Group 3 Aspiration Quality (1600m), fourth in the Group 3 Epona Stakes (1900m), and fifth last time out in Group 3 JRA Plate (2000m) at Randwick on April 15.
Lion’s Roar ($13) chasing his first win since the 2021 Rosehill Guineas carries the 58.5kg top-weight with Josh Parr to ride, while Danny Williams saddles-up his last start Rosehill winner Marsabit ($13) who ran second in both the Albury Cup and Orange Cup earlier this autumn.
The 2023 Wagga Wagga Gold Cup runs as Race 7 at 4:25pm (AEST) on Friday’s eight-race card with complete markets courtesy of Ladbrokes.com.au available by clicking here.
2023 Wagga Wagga Gold Cup Final Field & Barrier Draw
No | Last 10 | Horse | Trainer | Jockey | Barrier | Weight | Probable Weight | Penalty | Hcp Rating |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 6x0025x800 | LION’S ROAR (NZ) | John O’Shea | Joshua Parr | 17 | 58.5kg | 100 | ||
2 | 0x30088x04 | GREAT HOUSE (IRE) | Chris Waller | Jeff Penza | 4 | 58kg | 99 | ||
3 | x890627x05 | KUKERACHA (NZ) | Chris Waller | Kerrin McEvoy | 6 | 57.5kg | 98 | ||
4 | 113408×046 | LORD ARDMORE (NZ) | Chris Waller | Tyler Schiller (a) | 3 | 57kg | 97 | ||
5 | 11x332x3x5 | BOIS D’ARGENT (GB) | Annabel Neasham | Ms Alysha Collett | 21 | 56.5kg | 96 | ||
6 | 05739×8020 | LAURE ME IN | David Pfieffer | Ms Alysha Collett | 14 | 54.5kg | 92 | ||
7 | x011960x30 | KISS THE BRIDE (NZ) | Bjorn Baker | 8 | 54kg | 91 | |||
8 | x51627x245 | PINK IVORY (NZ) | John Sargent | Tom Sherry | 16 | 54kg | 90 | ||
9 | 314210×658 | WILD CHAP | Brett Lazzarini | Robbie Dolan | 2 | 54kg | 90 | ||
10 | x083361x10 | ANOTHER ONE | Gary Colvin | Danny Beasley | 5 | 54kg | 88 | ||
11 | 311211×086 | OTYRAR (GB) | Chris Waller | (late alt) | 7 | 54kg | 86 | ||
12 | 1414425×45 | WICKLOW (IRE) | Chris Waller | Brett Prebble | 22 | 54kg | 85 | ||
13 | x060x08833 | DOUCEUR | John Thompson | James Innes Jnr | 12 | 54kg | 84 | ||
14 | 1123379×33 | PRINCE OF HELENA | Craig Weeding | Jake Duffy | 19 | 54kg | 83 | ||
15 | 9180385221 | MARSABIT (IRE) | Danny Williams | Quayde Krogh | 18 | 54kg | 82 | ||
16 | x864860x01 | THE DOCTOR’S SON | Maddison Collins | Josh Richards | 9 | 54kg | 69 | ||
17e | 43x7808x48 | ESTI FENY (HUN) | Matthew Smith | Jean Van Overmeire | 11 | 54kg | 82 | ||
18e | 15180×9617 | COGNAC (IRE) | Richard & Will Freedman | Ms Kathy O’Hara | 15 | 54kg | 81 | ||
19e | 0x4217x161 | IOWA (IRE) | Mark Newnham | Tyler Schiller (a) | 13 | 54kg | 78 | ||
20e | 7x19715x03 | FLOSSING (NZ) | Trent Busuttin & Natalie Young | 20 | 54kg | 76 | |||
21e | 8325025×68 | TAMPERING | Kerry Parker | 1 | 54kg | 75 | |||
22e | x080x57001 | UNAMERICAN | Richard & Will Freedman | Ms Winona Costin | 10 | 54kg | 70 |
Table Credit: Racing Australia.