Wagga preview: Trainer Phil Sweeney has Lady Brook primed to tackle her nemesis in sprint showdown

Phil Sweeney has in-form mare Lady Brook ready to turn the tables on Another One in feature sprint clash at Wagga.

Top jockey Jeff Penza again partners Lady Brook for trainer Phil Sweeney at Wagga on Thursday.

Trainer Phil Sweeney did his best not to talk up the clash between his mare Lady Brook and Another One on Thursday at Wagga Wagga but there’s a lot on the line.

A big performance by both in Thursday’s Ian Reid Sprint (1200m) will signify both horses are on track for the $1.3 million Kosciuszko in October.

Another One is a $15 chance for the Kosciuszko and Lady Brook is only rated at $51 despite the fact only half a length separated the pair when they met in Wagga Wagga’s heat of the Country Championships in February.

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Lady Brook (Red, White Stars) can boost her chances of a Kosciuszko berth with a win at Wagga on Thursday. Picture: Getty Images

“That was over 1400m and she did all the work that day so she’s a handy mare. We were at the end of our tether that day too,” Sweeney said.

“I don’t put raps on them, I let them do the talking.”

Another One is first-up while Lady Brook has the fitness edge off a first-up win at Wagga Wagga when she led all the way to salute in a Benchmark 74 Handicap.

And she’ll just about have to win again if she’s a Kosciuszko chance later on even if her price in the race looks over based on how close she got to Another One earlier in the year.

“She’s got to keep stepping up to go there. She’s getting to the point where she’s nearly got to race out of this area,” Sweeney said.

“It’s just another race but she’s been going places all preparation and she’s going well and has pulled up great from the first-up run.

“There’s no problems at all with her and I just want to get past this race. There are a few options with her. I’ll talk to the owners about a couple of plans if she doesn’t measure up.”

Lady Brook jumps from gate five with Jeff Penza to ride her again although he might not lead on her this time.

“She can do both but I think she’s better off the speed. She probably did too much work last start but did have barrier one,” Sweeney said.

“It’s a good barrier for her but there’s a lot of good horses in it. Another One is a good horse.”

Pay The Deeler races for Sweeney earlier the day in the third event over 1600m and she’s set to start favourite off two second placings over 1400m.

“She looks like she wants a mile but I’m not too sure about that,” Sweeney said.

“The other day she was caught three deep and only got beat by three quarters of a length so she’s going good and looks well.

“It’s just a mental thing with her. She’s not very stable in the head department sometimes.”

Then runs for Sweeney in the sixth event off a third placing at Narromine and she’s chasing her first win at start nine but has placed in two of her past three.

“She ran well but it was a Sky 2 meeting so this will be a bit tougher. She just doesn’t want a wet track,” Sweeney said.

“I hope they all run well.”

OSBORNE CONFIDENT CHICKEN CAN ROAST HER RIVALS

Canberra trainer Neil Osborne is waiting for the penny to drop with Mo More Chicken and is confident it will happen on Thursday at Wagga Wagga.

The Uncle Mo five-year-old is having her 13th start in a Class 1 Handicap (1000m) and the only number in her statistics that reads poorly is in the win column.

She’s only won once from 12 runs but has seven placings to her name.

“If she puts a couple of wins together it (record) all of a sudden looks fantastic and I think she’s a good chance now,” Osborne said.

“She’s had excuses a few times and has probably gone a bit better than she should have under the circumstances.”

Mo More Chicken was recently sent up north for two races over the Coffs Harbour carnival and ran third and fourth.

The latest performance was when running on from 12th at the 400m to get within two lengths of Bel Academy and Salad Dodger.

Coolmore stallion Uncle Mo is the sire of Mo More Money.

“She ran pretty well up there and only had a couple of days in the paddock when we got home,” Osborne said.

“She’s been working well and is going great. She copped some bad barrier draws up there which didn’t help.

“She was a 53-rater in a Benchmark 66 race so I thought under the circumstance she acquitted herself very well.

“She hasn’t done much since. I’ve just got keep her fresh.”

Mo More Chicken will likely sit in behind the speed under Brendan Ward who guides him out of barrier six.

Osborne expects her to pounce late.

“I think that’s her pattern so she should be able to do that. The horse of Scotty Collings (Bleue’s Choice) looks pretty hard to beat,” he said.

“It seems to go very well in the wet and we do too. I don’t think it’s as good on the dry as we might be.”

Originally published as Wagga preview: Trainer Phil Sweeney has Lady Brook primed to tackle her nemesis in sprint showdown