Dubbo duo eye winning trebles at Bathurst
And they could lead home another big haul at the track for Dubbo stables, enjoying another terrific start to a new season.
Slush Fund, a tough on-speed five-year-old in the Clint Lundholm stable, tackles a very winnable Benchmark 58 Handicap over 1406m fifth-up.
The son of 2016 Golden Slipper winner Capitalist has never raced better, winning his last two in dominant fashion.
Two starts ago at this track, he led all the way with something in hand to beat a BM 58 field with a little more depth than this by more than two lengths.
Then a fortnight ago on Forbes Cup day, he sat behind the speed against similar opposition before again proving too strong over 1400m in heavy ground.
With regular claiming jockey Zoe Hunt aboard, Slush Fund is set to win again, and then likely be aimed at a bigger race late next month on Dubbo Cup day.
Then later on the program, fellow Dubbo raider Sweet As A Kiss is eyeing off a third consecutive win in a BM 66 Handicap over 2006m.
A US-sired four-year-old mare in the Garry Lunn stable, Sweet As A Kiss has twice charged home from well off the speed, both at home and at Bathurst, to destroy her opposition up to this level.

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Herald Sun
9 hours ago
- Herald Sun
Trainer Mark Milton saddles up Miss Couver at Scone
Scone trainer Mark Milton will use Tuesday's home-town meeting at Scone to 'debut' the former Sydney-sider and 'internet cheapie' Miss Couver. Don't miss out on the headlines from Horse Racing. Followed categories will be added to My News. Trainer, owner and breeder Mark Milton is hoping his 'internet speck' Miss Couver can win back her meagre purchase price and start building a bank to pay for a stallion partner some time this spring or the next when she steps out at Scone today. The daughter of Golden Slipper winner Vancouver was originally housed at Leilani Lodge with Anthony Cummings who trained Miss Couver's Group 1-winning 'uncles' Outback Prince and Hotel Grand. Her most recent three starts were under the Ciaron Maher banner, prior to being put out to tender. Enter Milton, the former Mudgee trainer now firmly ensconced at the nation's thoroughbred capital. • PUNT LIKE A PRO: Become a Racenet iQ member and get expert tips – with fully transparent return on investment statistics – from Racenet's team of professional punters at our Pro Tips section. SUBSCRIBE NOW! 'It was a bit of an afterthought to buy her when I was playing on the Inglis Digital,'' Milton said. 'I thought why not have a bid on this one? 'I only paid $3,500 for her which is not a lot when you consider what we are racing for. 'And she'd won at the provincials and had run a couple of placings at the metros and that.' Miss Couver's 13th and last run came on July 9 where she finished down the order in a Benchmark 72 at Canterbury. Her first assignment for Milton comes on Monday in the One Agency Scone Class 1 Handicap (1200m) with Kody Nestor to steer. 'I haven't done a real lot with her,'' Milton says. 'She hasn't had any hard gallops but she is certainly coming back in class a bit. 'She is a nice big, strong mare who came to me in good nick.' — SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) August 10, 2023 • RICHARD CALLANDER: Racing's rumour mill trips up punters with Shenandoah shenanigans Given how well-bred Miss Couver is, Milton is seriously considering breeding from the genetically blessed mare. 'Everyone keeps telling me, even down at Ciaron's that she would make a lovely broodmare,'' Milton said. 'She is a really big scopey horse. If you send her to the right stallion, she should throw a cracking sort of a foal. 'It's up to her to win her service fee.' Milton, meanwhile, has found another ideal race for Flying Molly who has the opportunity to collect $15,000 if successful in the Arrowfield Country Boosted Maiden Plate (1100m). Born and bred at Kingstar Farm, just like 2021 Golden Slipper winner Stay Inside, Flying Molly turned six on August 1 yet has just five runs under her belt. In fact the time between her third and fourth starts was a staggering 86weeks, or 602days. 'I moved from Mudgee over to Scone and then there was a rigmarole to be able to train at Scone for a while so she just sat in the paddock and in no time at all, nearly two years had gone past,'' Milton explained. 'There was no injury problem or anything like that, it was just a change of location and the moving process and everything else.' The break has, it seems, worked wonders for Flying Molly who has posted back-to-back PBs at her two runs since her return to racing. Both were at Scone, one a closing third to the handy Kris Lees-trained galloper Herman Said. • Private Harry, Briasa step up Everest preparations with scintillating trial wins The other was a three-quarter-length second to the Rodney Northam-housed Nova Centauri who goes around in the last on Monday's Scone card. 'I am guessing this race is probably a bit harder looking at the prices on the TAB but she has been pretty consistent and a little bit green in her runs too but even though she is a little bit older, she doesn't have a lot of experience,'' Milton said. Flying Molly, a $10,000 Inglis weanling purchase in 2020, can lay a rare claim to boast a Golden Slipper winner hanging on her family tree. Her fifth dam, Light Of Peace, was the mother of 1987 Slipper hero, Star Watch. Originally published as Trainer Mark Milton to saddled up online bargain Miss Couver at Scone on Tuesday Opinion Racenet form analyst Shayne O'Cass previews Tuesday's NSW meetings at Scone and Albury, presenting his best bets and quaddie leg analysis. Horse Racing Saturday shapes as an important day in the career of his staying prospect Fioprospero at Rosehill Gardens.

News.com.au
12 hours ago
- News.com.au
Trainer Mark Milton to saddled up online bargain Miss Couver at Scone on Tuesday
Trainer, owner and breeder Mark Milton is hoping his 'internet speck' Miss Couver can win back her meagre purchase price and start building a bank to pay for a stallion partner some time this spring or the next when she steps out at Scone today. The daughter of Golden Slipper winner Vancouver was originally housed at Leilani Lodge with Anthony Cummings who trained Miss Couver 's Group 1 -winning 'uncles' Outback Prince and Hotel Grand. Her most recent three starts were under the Ciaron Maher banner, prior to being put out to tender. Enter Milton, the former Mudgee trainer now firmly ensconced at the nation's thoroughbred capital. 'It was a bit of an afterthought to buy her when I was playing on the Inglis Digital,'' Milton said. 'I thought why not have a bid on this one? 'I only paid $3,500 for her which is not a lot when you consider what we are racing for. 'And she'd won at the provincials and had run a couple of placings at the metros and that.' Miss Couver's 13th and last run came on July 9 where she finished down the order in a Benchmark 72 at Canterbury. Her first assignment for Milton comes on Monday in the One Agency Scone Class 1 Handicap (1200m) with Kody Nestor to steer. 'I haven't done a real lot with her,'' Milton says. 'She hasn't had any hard gallops but she is certainly coming back in class a bit. 'She is a nice big, strong mare who came to me in good nick.' Miss Couver gets a win with plenty of merit on debut! Congratulations Suraj Narredu on his first NSW winner on the @CummingsRacing trained mare. — SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) August 10, 2023 Given how well-bred Miss Couver is, Milton is seriously considering breeding from the genetically blessed mare. 'Everyone keeps telling me, even down at Ciaron's that she would make a lovely broodmare,'' Milton said. 'She is a really big scopey horse. If you send her to the right stallion, she should throw a cracking sort of a foal. 'It's up to her to win her service fee.' Milton, meanwhile, has found another ideal race for Flying Molly who has the opportunity to collect $15,000 if successful in the Arrowfield Country Boosted Maiden Plate (1100m). Born and bred at Kingstar Farm, just like 2021 Golden Slipper winner Stay Inside, Flying Molly turned six on August 1 yet has just five runs under her belt. In fact the time between her third and fourth starts was a staggering 86weeks, or 602days. 'I moved from Mudgee over to Scone and then there was a rigmarole to be able to train at Scone for a while so she just sat in the paddock and in no time at all, nearly two years had gone past,'' Milton explained. 'There was no injury problem or anything like that, it was just a change of location and the moving process and everything else.' The break has, it seems, worked wonders for Flying Molly who has posted back-to-back PBs at her two runs since her return to racing. Both were at Scone, one a closing third to the handy Kris Lees -trained galloper Herman Said. Herman said: I can win this, and he did! 🙌 Herman Said gets win 1 at start number 1 with @gibbo7822 in the saddle for @Leesracing! @sconeraceclub — SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) June 23, 2025 The other was a three-quarter-length second to the Rodney Northam -housed Nova Centauri who goes around in the last on Monday's Scone card. 'I am guessing this race is probably a bit harder looking at the prices on the TAB but she has been pretty consistent and a little bit green in her runs too but even though she is a little bit older, she doesn't have a lot of experience,'' Milton said. Flying Molly, a $10,000 Inglis weanling purchase in 2020, can lay a rare claim to boast a Golden Slipper winner hanging on her family tree.

News.com.au
12 hours ago
- News.com.au
Canberra trainer Matthew Kelley has two live chances at Albury led by Deepwater Artist
CANBERRA trainer Matthew Kelley could well be heading north and not south in the near future with his lightly-raced Kiwi-bred gelding Deepwater Artist which fronts up at Albury on Tuesday for the second time inside just three starts. The son of Widden Stud's resident four-time Group 1 winner Trapeze Artist created a lasting first impression when he won his debut on July 18 in an Albury 1175m Maiden. Deepwater Artist resurfaced at Wagga (Riverside) on August 4 where it took a TAB Highway winner, Salute Again, to deny him his unbeaten tag. 'He is very unassuming,'' Kelley said. 'He showed me a little bit early days but he has probably exceeded my expectations. 'I didn't think he was as good as what he is. 'He was originally getting prepared for the Ready To Run Sale to be sold when he was over in New Zealand. 'He actually trialled up pretty good at the Ready To Runs, I went back and watched his video. 'They paid $120,000 for him and then he went to Brett Cavanough and he was being trained there and they had a pretty low opinion of him from all the reports I got from them. ðŸ'¥ Deepwater Artist wins on debut at Albury! $2,750 buy â†' $15,000 payday ðŸ¤' Huge run from the 3YO, wide on the turn and too strong late. — Matt Kelley Racing (@MKelleyRacing) July 18, 2025 • Private Harry, Briasa step up Everest preps with scintillating trial wins 'He has just excelled this preparation. Everything he is doing, he is doing it with authority. 'On his first two runs, he has definitely got to be a midweek grade animal I think.' Deepwater Artist will have company on the 660km round-trip from stablemate Getty which was born and raised at Corumbene Stud, the same as Golden Slipper winners Sebring and Overreach. Getty has his own Golden Slipper connection being a near replica son of 2016 race winner, Capitalist. Like him, Getty was originally trained by Peter and Paul Snowden and although he never won for the then father and son training duo, he was placed five times including behind the likes of Estriella, In Flight, Spring Lee and Rush Hour in the $500,000 Debut at the Gold Coast. Getty has won three times for Kelley and chases a fourth career victory on Tuesday after a brave second at Wagga under a crushing 61 kgs steadier. 'He is getting better as he gets older,'' Kelley said. 'He has been an extremely late-maturer, mentally, and he is still probably not completely matured yet. 'I think we are starting to get on top of him this preparation and it is showing. 'I think later on down the track, he'll be an Open company sprinter for sure.'