PARKER CHASING WAGGA FEATURE DOUBLE

KERRY Parker had never had a runner in the Listed Big Dane Eligibility Wagga Wagga Gold Cup (2000m) when he won it last year with Flying Bandit.

Now the Kembla Grange trainer is hoping for a similar result with his first runner Well Timed in tomorrow’s Wagga Town Plate (1200m) as he chases the carnival feature double, with Flying Bandit returning to defend his Cup “crown”.

Andrew Adkins will ride topweight Well Timed in the Town Plate, and Jay Ford continues a successful association with Flying Bandit in the Cup.

“I’ve had a couple of runners before in the MTC (Murrumbidgee Turf Club) Guineas for three-year-olds, and Flying Bandit was my first runner in the Cup last year,” Parker said today.

“I’m pretty sure Well Timed will also be my first Town Plate starter.

“The weights were raised 2kg at acceptance time, meaning he now has 58kg topweight.

“Well Timed is a hard horse to place now with his benchmark rating (90), but he has drawn well tomorrow and will get his chance.

“I’ve kept him ticking over since his latest sixth (with 59kg) in a Benchmark 94 Handicap (1100m) at Rosehill Gardens just over three weeks ago.

“Andrew (Adkins) rode Well Timed in an 800m trial at Kembla Grange on March 31 after the gelding won the Bert Lillye Handicap (1200m) at our Classic meeting on March 13.”

Well Timed meets his latest conqueror Point and Shoot 2kg better in the Town Plate, where a capacity field of 16 plus six emergencies was declared.

Parker has opted for a gear change on last year’s Cup winner Flying Bandit, taking ear muffs pre-race off and putting blinkers on.

“He needs something to snap him back into form,” he said.

“Nothing has gone right this campaign, with unsuitable wet tracks and being unable to secure a start in the Chairman’s Quality (2600m) at Royal Randwick on April 4 ruling out a Sydney Cup start.

“Flying Bandit is in good order, and because he hasn’t won since last year’s Cup, has the same weight (54kg) tomorrow.

“As with Well Timed, he has drawn well enough.”

Fellow Kembla Grange trainers Paul Murray and Mitch Beer and George Carpenter also have representatives in the Hawkesbury features.

Murray runs Harry’s Bar (Jean Van Overmeire) in the Town Plate following her excellent fifth to Lord Of Biscay in the $1m Provincial-Midway Championships Final (1400m) at Randwick on April 11.

Team Beer’s Cosmic Lad (Grant Buckley) joins Flying Bandit in the Gold Cup.

Cosmic Lad has won his last two starts at Newcastle (1850m Benchmark 64 Handicap on March 31) and secured a Cup “free ticket” in the Murrumbidgee Cup (1800m) at Wagga on April 19.

. Parker is the front-runner in his home track’s local trainers’ premiership, and added another victory to his tally this afternoon.

He scored with Broadway Street (Nash Rawiller) in the Provincial 3YO Maiden Handicap (1200m).

Perhaps it’s a good omen for Friday as Broadway Street races in the same Proven Thoroughbreds’ colours as Flying Bandit.

A son of Alabama Express, Broadway Street ($4.20) was having only his second start and first since early December when he defeated Hawkesbury pair, Jason Attard’s Fitzclarence ($26) and Brad Widdup’s Codename ($3.80 favorite).

Parker and Proven Thoroughbreds sourced the gelding in South Australia, and purchased him for $100,000 at the 2024 Adelaide yearling sale.

Parker’s win with Btroadway Street was his 11^th at home this season, but closest rivals Mitch Beer and George Carpenter struck back in the closer to remain only two behind.

Team Beer scored with $11 chance Magical Moments (Dylan Gibbons), who easily took the Benchmark 64 Handicap (1400m).

Beer afterwards said Magical Moments, a four-year-old daughter of Winning Rupert, had been luckless at her two previous starts at Newcastle and the Sapphire Coast, and that Gibbons took bad luck out of the equation today by taking the mare to the front not long after the start and leading throughout.

STORY JOHN CURTIS, APRIL 29, 2026 - PICS BRADLEY PHOTOS