UZZIAH A DUAL ACCEPTOR FOR MUSWELLBROOK CUP & ROSEHILL

NEWCASTLE’S Armidale Cup winner Uzziah is guaranteed a start in Friday’s Big Dance Eligibility Muswellbrook Gold Cup.

But trainer Scott Aspery has held fire on making a firm decision as to whether his gelding chases back to back country cups in the 1500m feature.

Thirty-one horses were entered for the $150,000 Muswellbrook Cup, and Aspery was unsure whether his six-year-old would escape the ballot axe.

However, the RacingNSW handicapping panel today gave Uzziah 54kg, and he is 13^th in order of ballot (14 can run with provision for six emergencies if there are sufficient acceptors).

Whilst naturally pleased to learn Uzziah will get a Muswellbrook start, Aspery also plans to accept with him for Saturday’s Benchmark 88 Handicap (1400m) at Rosehill Gardens, where he has been given 57.5kg.

Uzziah, whom Aspery purchased for $5000 as a yearling in Adelaide, has been a wonderful advertisement for the stable, winning eight races and placing 11 times and earning nearly $550,000 in prizemoney.

Aspery wisely took Uzziah to Armidale on March 13 to win the 1400m Cup – he bolted in with 61.5kg – as that race also carried eligibility for the $3m Big Dance (1600m) at Royal Randwick in early November.

“I will accept at both Muswellbrook and Rosehill in the morning, and then have a look at the respective fields,” he said this afternoon.

“That plus the barrier draws and track conditions will play a big part in deciding which way we go.

“Uzziah won twice at Muswellbrook earlier in his career, so he handles the track well.

“Of course it would be nice to add that Cup to his Armidale Cup win, but I’ll wait and see how the field shapes up as to whether it turns out much stronger than the Benchmark 88 in Sydney.

“We’ll wait and see. There are quite a number of dual entries for both the Muswellbrook Cup and Group 3 Doncaster Prelude (1500m) at Rosehill.”

Uziah is one of only two provincial entries for the Muswellbrook Cup; the other being leading Newcastle trainer Kris Lees’ Zaphod, who is also assured of a start, being seventh in order of ballot with 56.5kg.

 Muswellbrook Race Club general manager Christine Williams says the Big Dance Eligibility attached to the Cup clearly played a major role in attracting the quality of entries.

“Interstate trainers such as the Golden Slipper winning duo Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr, Ciaron Maher, Anthony and Sam Freedman and the Hayes brothers all have entries,” Ms Williams said.

“Ciaron Maher was the first trainer last Wednesday to nominate his horses for the program, closely followed by Team Price.

“Last year’s Cup attracted a quality line-up, and going on the entries, this year looks like producing the same result.

“I am especially pleased with overall entries (200) for the eight-race program.

“This is my second Cup meeting since taking up the position at Muswellbrook, and looking forward to another great meeting.”

Acceptances for the Cup and all other races will be taken at 9am tomorrow (Wednesday).

Multiple Group 1 winning Sydney trainer and Newcastle and Hunter Hall of Famer Peter Snowden won last year’s Cup with Lavish Empire (Mitchell Bell).

The Showcase meeting’s other features – the Wayne Harris Handicap (1280m) and Skellatar Sprint (1000m) – last year were won respectively by Wyong trainer Kristen Buchanan’s Annie’s Rose (Anna Roper) and Richard and Will Freedman’s Celui (Alysha Collett).

Lees meanwhile is considering giving Miss Busslinger her final trial for the $1m Provincial-Midway Championships Final (1400m) at Randwick on April 11, in the Wayne Harris.

Other provincial entries for that race are African Daisy (Jason Deamer), So Good So Cool (Nacim Dilmi), Puerto Banus (Paul Perry), and Tickle Me Pink (Mark Minervini).

Provincial horses nominated for the Skellatar Sprint are Sapphire Kiss (Wayne Seelin) and Super Freds (Jay Hopkins).

Provincial trainers won two races at Port Macquarie today; Kristen Buchanan taking the F&M Class 1 Handicap 1200m) with Shoutaboutit (Shannen Llewellyn), and Jason Deamer snared the opener with Farnciful (Ash Morgan).

Morgan drove to Port Macquarie after partnering Provincial-Midway Final favorite Matcha Latte in a Beaumont 1000m trial this morning.

Matcha Latte ran on nicely without being asked to excel and finished fourth, with Newcastle three-year-old Rivellino, who is heading for the Group 3 Carbine Club Stakes (1600m) at Randwick on April 4, just ahead of him in third placing.

STORY JOHN CURTIS, MARCH 24, 2026 - PICS BRADLEY PHOTOS