Only one locally owned horse has been nominated for Saturday’s Deepwater Cup.
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Of the 13 horses for the 1400m main race, only Amajill – trained by Luke Berger – is owned by a syndicate of Deepwater locals.
“Hopefully [Amajill] can do something for her owners on the day. She’s a tough, honest sort of mare.
- Trainer Luke Berger
They are the Akhurst, Wheatley, Newsome, Hollingworth, Williams, Bourke, Lister, Schreck, Ritchie and Stevenson families.
Amajill is coming off a last-start win in Coffs Harbour on January 8 over 1300m under the guidance of jockey Rachael Murray.
Amajill won by a nose from the second and third placed horses Zuccherina and Fashion Model.
The five-year-old bay mare, by Murtajill from Divinity Dash, has won $99,065 so far in her track career.
Syndicate member and Deepwater Jockey Club president Doug Stevenson said he will be sure to back Amajill after not putting any money on for the last winning start.
“I was kicking myself,” he said. “I’ll definitely back her this time though.”
Trainer Luke Berger, Lukanna Lodge, Inverell, said the group of Deepwater locals purchased the mare specifically to run in the cup.
“They have had a few local horses start in the Deepwater Cup in recent years but they’ve been unlucky and only got a couple of seconds,” Berger said.
“They wanted to try and win the race and bought this mare only about a month or so ago from the Gold Coast.
“We took her to Coffs Harbour last Sunday to get her ready.”
Berger said the Deepwater track may not suit Amajill particularly well.
“If she gets back she’s looking for a big open space, which won’t be there at Deepwater,” he said.
“Hopefully she can do something for her owners on the day.”
Berger described the mare as consistent.
“She’s a tough, honest sort of mare,” he said.
Amajill will be Berger’s only horse at Deepwater this year because there is only one week between that race and the Bingara races, instead of the customary two week gap.
There will be a few nearly local horses in the cup, though, and even more horses trained in the New England.
The stablemate of last week’s Glen Innes Cup winner Hula Girl, Carry Me Gee Gee is entered in the Deepwater Cup after finishing second last week.
Another of Cunningham’s horses Dabamirak – who also finished second in its race in Glen Innes last week – is also a cup contender a long with the other nominated horses.