Wagga Riverside previews: Penza to the rescue

Champion jockey Jeff Penza has answered the call from Wagga trainer Gary Colvin to spend his Christmas Eve at today’s Wagga meeting.

Jockey Jeff Penza brings home Signore Fox, from the Peter and Paul Snowden stables, after the four-year-old snatched victory in the 2020 GDSC Ramornie Handicap.

Jockey Jeff Penza will spend Christmas Eve in the Riverina after answering the call – literally and figuratively – from the 2022 Country Championship Final winner trainer Gary Colvin.

The pair will be spending plenty of time together at Tuesday’s only thoroughbred meeting in the whole of Australia, combining in all eight races on the card including in the feature Ted Ryder Cup.

“My apprentice Holly (Durnan) got suspended so I just rang Jeff’s manager up and said, ‘look, I’ve got eight rides if he wants them and they’re not bad rides’ and he said ‘no worries’ so he’s coming down to ride all the horses so I’m happy,’’ Colvin explained.

Penza’s ride in the prestigious Ted Ryder Cup (1675m) is Persian Dancer who is back home after multiple trips to Sydney last month.

Danny Beasley and Persian Dancer give Gary Colvin his second winner for the day! pic.twitter.com/tJaVNVMzRg

— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) November 6, 2023

“She is right back in class,’’ Colvin said. “She raced in that 2000m Country Classic last start and had no luck there whatsoever.

“She looked like she was going to do something but she had no luck early.

“I took her Canterbury the start before and that wasn’t a bad run because she had to do it hard to get to the front and she only got run down with a hundred to go and only got beaten two lengths.

“I like the horse because she is a real trier and if we get a crack at them, she will be around about there.”

While Penza will be having his first ride aboard Colvin’s Ted Ryder contestant, he is ‘one for one’ aboard the Colvin-bred, owned and trained Kappy’s Angel who resumes in the co-feature Crichton Cup (1200m).

The market favourite Kappy's Angel 👼gets the job done in the third from @mtcwagga! pic.twitter.com/BPBX5MyLix

— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) March 5, 2024

“She can run a very, very bold race,’’ Colvin declared.

“Probably the only thing is that she has to go 1200m first-up but she is a pretty seasoned horse and she loves Wagga Riverside.

“You’ve really good to be in the firing line coming to the turn. It’s just one of those tracks and she is a very positive horse.”

Colvin is aiming to win the last race run in Australia before Christmas with the sparingly-raced Fighting Zed.

A son of the unbeaten two-year-old Fighting Sun, Fighting Zed was picked out and purchased by Colvin at the Adelaide Magic Millions Yearling Sale in 2021 with a price-tag of $40,000.

The now five-year-old has won back $31,850 in just a half a dozen starts, including a 1000m Maiden win at Wagga back in March 2023.

“I think he is ready to do something,’’ Colvin said.

The same goes for Super Jules in the Congrats Brandon Lewidge Super Maiden Handicap (1200m).

“She’s a nice horse in the making, she hasn’t been in suitable races until now,’’ the trainer said.

Colvin meanwhile will be back in Sydney this weekend with his boom three-year-old Cambar aiming to maintain his burgeoning reputation – and unbeaten tag – in the TAB Highway at Royal Randwick.

Cambar takes the TAB Highway in a total thriller, and remains unbeaten! 😮@aus_turf_club | @clarkyhkpic.twitter.com/CJGTKKGksn

— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) November 30, 2024

“Timmy Clark can’t ride him, he’s on holidays but I didn’t get a bad replacement called Tyler Schiller so I’m pretty happy,’’ Colvin said.

“I wanted Tyler to ride him before he was suspended.”

Cambar is a virtual replica of his boom young stallion/father Pierata.

Cambar was born in Queensland but sold in Melbourne where Colvin managed to snare the 2025 Country Championships-bound colt away from rivals bidders for a now-bargain price of $50,000.

“He’s on his way up,’’ Colvin says. “He’s not an overly big horse but he’s got a good motor.

“He’s a lovely horse to do anything with. He is just a lovely moving horse who has got it all in front of him.’’

■ ■ ■ ■ ■

Barnstorming chestnut Associate can book himself a berth in the 2025 Wagga Gold Cup and help his trainer Danielle Seib closer to a personal milestone of 100 winners at Australia’s only thoroughbred meeting on Christmas Eve.

The replica son of Star Witness will headline Seib’s seven horse Riverina-bound caravan.

Exciting first starter Xcessive Force took Seib’s career tally of winners to 94 after his debut win at home at Goulburn on Friday.

Incredibly, roughly 10 per cent of Seib’s winners are in Highways.

Associate is not one of them but that’s more a result of bad luck than a lack of talent.

Ditto that for his Nowra Cup mission nine days ago where and when he came from an impossible position to finish an improbable third behind Big Dance participants Super Helpful and Hollywood Hero.

Super Helpful wins the Nowra Cup! 🏆

Apprentice jockey Claire Ramsbotham gets her third win for the day 👏@JJRacing_ACTpic.twitter.com/RiPCLq63yu

— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) December 15, 2024

“He was always going to land back there from a wider gate and unfortunately the two that beat him home raced a pair or two in front of him and it all went their way,’’ Seib says.

“They saved a lot of ground and we had to come out and around them and he hit the line really well.

“He gets a better gate on Tuesday but I wish it was Wagga and not Riverside, it goes from the size of Randwick to a tighter-track.”

Seib’s quick fire 94 (wins) include a hefty number of ‘tried horses’ who were quick off the mark.

Enter Perigean who was sold three times; first as a $600,000 yearling then for $45,000 in 2023 and finally, $20,000 to JJJ Racing who recouped $13,000 on their outlay in less than a minute courtesy of Perigean’s ‘Seib stable debut’ win in Canberra last month.

“We like him,’’ the trainer said.

“He is a nice progressive horse that can hopefully head down the Highway route in time.

“Hopefully we can box-seat again on Tuesday and get the right split because he’s got an electric turn of foot.”

Seib stands every chance of winning the last race run in Australia before Christmas when her lightly-raced and progressive filly Master Of Disguise goes around in the traditional Get Out Stakes.

A Seib $40,000 Adelaide Yearling purchase, Master Of Disguise has come back in great order with a booming five-length win on her CV at just her second outing in the 2024/25 season.

“She was probably just a little bit weak last preparation, physically immature, so she had a good break and has returned a much, much better filly.’’

Originally published as Wagga Riverside previews: Penza to the rescue