Wellington Tuesday previews: Awesome foursome looms for Bob Slack-Smith’s galloper Cumboogle

Prolific trainer Brett Thompson can see no reason why the wildly in-form Bob Slack-Smith-owned gelding Cumboogle won’t stretch his winning sequence to four on Tuesday.

Cumboogle, pictured winning at Quirindi on April 25, can continue his hot streak at Wellington on Tuesday. Picture: Bradley Photos

One of the Central West’s most in-form horses can chalk up another win for one of the region’s most famous and longstanding industry figures when racing comes to Wellington on Tuesday.

The Brett Thompson-trained Cumboogle is aiming for his eighth career win today and what would be his fourth in a row this preparation.

Cumboogle is owned by Dr Bob Slack-Smith who earned his respect and reputation as a ‘studmaster’ in the now by-gone era when they existed.

One look at Cumboogle’s own heritage is like looking back in time to when Slack-Smith’s Lucernvale Stud at Dubbo was a popular location for broodmare owners eager to tap into the Stud’s prolific bread and better resident sires, Vain Karioi and Pacific Prince.

They, by the way, are the respective sires of Cumboogle’s third and fourth dams.

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Cumboogle’s winning stretch is a far cry from his debut at Dubbo in May 2022, when beaten 15 lengths.

Even so, Thompson knew he was better than that.

“He used to be a horse that we always knew could gallop but he used to over-do and was going too hard when you didn’t want him to be and not finishing his races off fully because he wasn’t breathing properly through the run,’’ the Gulgong based trainer explained.

“We said from day one when he was a two-year-old, I told Bob that he had a nice horse but he just didn’t want to relax and for some reason, with a five or six weeks spell, he just went out and decided to come back a different horse.’’

Fast forward to the present and Cumboogle’s hat-trick were emphatic in nature with a combined winning margin in excess of five-lengths and a very slick sub 57-seconds at Quirindi two weeks ago.

Cumboogle dominates Race 6 at Quirindi! 💪 pic.twitter.com/2PBJKorQrr

— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) April 29, 2025

Cumboogle’s mission on Tuesday is the Wellington Soldiers Memorial Club Benchmark 66 Handicap (1100m) with a 61kg steadier after the claim for apprentice Zoe Hunt.

“He’s been really running through the line and that’s why we are looking forward to getting out to the 1100m (on Tuesday),’’ Thompson says.

“I am sure he will run 1200m this prep so I think the 1100m will really suit him.

“He can carry weight. You saw what he carried the other day at Quirindi, he won with 63 kilos.’’

Thompson has a strong hand to play at Tuesday’s Wellington meeting, notably with the lightly-raced and reliable mare The Git Up, who will have her share of admirers in the Federal Hotel Maiden Handicap (1100m).

“She was first-up the other day and it was a really, really good run,’’ says Thompson.

“She just got spat out the back, there was carnage coming across from outside early in the race after the jump.

“I am not saying she would have won but she would have been very close in the finish.

“She’s going really well and I expect her to run a very strong race on Tuesday.”

Interestingly, all three placegetters from The Git Up’s last start will be present at Wellington, namely (the winner) Pressnell and the third placed I’m Independent who also happens to be trained at Gulgong by Thompson.

“I think she’ll be very hard to beat too,’’ he said.

“She has really thrived since her run the other day. She’s eating well and bouncing off her head.”

Thompson meanwhile is forecasting a strong showing from stable pair Dupenny and Tropicana’s Cube when they face off in the Grand Hotel Country Boosted Benchmark 58 Handicap (1400m).

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Trainer Mack Griffith is prepared to play the long game with the exciting – and hulking – galloper Pressnell who is off to Wellington on Tuesday to enhance both his bank balance and reputation.

While the prizemoney is always welcome, Griffith, is just as eager to add some seasoning and racecraft to Pressnell’s box of tricks as his career only begins to take shape.

The gelding, who is named in honour of living legend Max Presnell, resumed at Dubbo nine-days ago, running right up to his Winx-like odds to win by three lengths.

“He has got plenty of ability but he still doesn’t know what it is all about so we don’t want to throw him in the deep-end too quickly and lose the plot,’’ Griffith said.

“We just want to take him steady for now and put him in the easiest possible races so he can learn while he is winning hopefully.”

Pressnell will carry 59kg in the KFC Wellington Class 1 Handicap (1100m) on Tuesday.

“He is weighted up to his best for a horse that is coming out of maiden company but he has drawn well whereas a lot of the chances have drawn wide so that brings him right into the race,’’ Griffith said.

“It’s his first go past 1000m but Wellington will suit his style of racing.”

Pressnell has been ridden twice by Aaron Bullock and once by Nick Heywood in his career total of three starts.

He will have another of Australia’s most reliable riders on board this time with Chad Lever gladly taking up Griffith’s offer.

“We went for a more experienced jockey, because like I say, the horse is still very green and he’ll need a bit of help and you don’t lose anything with Chad on a horse that’s for sure,’’ the recent Wagga Town Plate-winning trainer said.

Griffith, who will be at Scone on Friday with said Town Plate winner Compelling Truth, is forecasting a better effort at Wellington from the well-bred Crown Legend in the OTL Over The Line Class 1 & Maiden Plate (1700m).

“It was a really wet track the other day and he just didn’t handle it at all,’’ Griffith explained.

“As soon as it was time to quicken at the end, his legs went everywhere.

“On a drier surface on Tuesday, I am hoping for a much improved run.”

Originally published as Wellington Tuesday previews: Awesome foursome looms for Bob Slack-Smith’s galloper Cumboogle