Wagga preview: Donna Scott hasn’t given up hope of making another Championship Final despite wide draws in Qualifier

Albury trainer Donna Scott has been a part of five Country Championship Finals and wants to be there again but wide gates in the Qualifier have made the task harder.

Villasaurus leads a four-pronged attack for trainer Donna Scott in the Country Championship Qualifier at Wagga. Picture: Grant Guy

The luck of the draw certainly didn’t go the way trainer Donna Scott would have liked but she hasn’t given up hope of qualifying a runner or two for the Country Championships Final.

Albury-based Scott has four horses in the SDRA Country Championships Qualifier (1400m) at Wagga with the quartet all drawing in the second half of the field.

Villasaurus has come up with barrier 17, Arthur The Great in gate 14, Wings Of Carmen in barrier 13 and Imposing Tallulah drawing the best in gate 9.

Scott’s number one seed is promising four-year-old Villasaurus who is resuming from a let-up.

The gelding won first-up in a 1400m TAB Highway at Rosehill last November and followed up with a second to Sunchyme in another.

“On his work and trials, he is as good going into this as he was going into his Highway win first-up,” Scott said.

Villasaurus with a big win in the opener!

Tyler Schiller combines with Donna Scott! @[e-mail]/4JD159Ke6g

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“He’s got the blinkers on because he is a bit of a daydreamer and looks around.

“He has worked and trialled in them and has been very good.”

Arthur The Great is also resuming from a break after having little luck when hampered a couple of times in the run when eighth to Everido in a Highway Kembla on November 23.

He has shown handy ability winning three of his 10 starts with a further three placings.

“He’s a consistent horse. He’s not at proven as Villasaurus at the 1400m but I definitely feel he’s a horse who wants it,” Scott said.

“He’s definitely got the ability to be very competitive.”

The least experienced of Scott’s runners is Wings Of Carmen who lines up for his sixth start this weekend but she feels he has the talent to make his presence felt.

“He definitely does have the ability to mix it with them too,” she said.

“He’s only a three-year-old and will be a better horse in another 12 months but he is racing well and deserves a shot at this race.

“He has won fresh over 1400m and he has been working and trialling well.”

Imposing Tallulah maybe the outsider of the field but Scott feels she can run a cheeky race.

“She deserves a crack at a race like this and she gets in with a light weight,” she said.

“She has drawn the best of my four and is an on-pace horse so she will put herself up there.

“With the right run, she is a rough chance.”

Lord Of Biscay dominates and wins the Ballina Cup! 🏆@[e-mail]/xdvY65YYNJ

— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) January 17, 2025

Meanwhile, champion Newcastle trainer Kris Lees will be looking to secure his first runner for the 2025 Provincial-Midway Championship Final in the Qualifier on his home track.

Lees saddles up the in-form Lord Of Biscay ($6.50) is chasing a hat-trick of wins.

The imported son of Lope De Vega scored a nice win at the Gold Coast over 1400m before an impressive win in the Ballina Cup by nearly three lengths over Captain Fenkel on January 17.

Fellow Newcastle trainer Nathan Doyle will be hoping Overriding ($4) gets a little more luck go her way after nightmare in the first qualifier at Hawkesbury last week.

The mare never got a clear run in the straight, going to the line untested when tenth behind Rapt.

The favourite for the Qualifier is comeback galloper Matcha Latte ($2.50) from the Sara Ryan stable.

The son of Maurice was off the scene for 17 months when he resumed with a game half-length second behind Here To Shock in the Group 3 Cameron Handicap at Newcastle on September 20.

He resumes here off two good trials including a close third to Glint Of Silver at Rosehill on February 18.