To trainer Tracey Bartley’s discerning eye, General’s Sniper can record back-to-back wins in Sunday’s $22,000 Gilgandra Cup.
And victory in the 1600m feature would give champion country hoop Greg Ryan nine Cup wins.
Bartley admits General’s Sniper, a five-year-old mare raced by owner-breeders Nerida and Roger Atkinson, has had a few problems.
“Hopefully we’ve ironed them out,” he said.
“She’d been jarring up in the knee and shoulder. She pulled up distressed after her last start so I’ve had her thoroughly checked over.
“At one stage we thought she might be bleeding but we gave her a private trial and had her scoped after. Everything’s right there.
“The vets are happy and to me she looks spot-on.
“If everything’s right, and I wouldn’t be starting her otherwise, I think she just beats them.”
General’s Sniper, by General Nediym out of the Atkinsons’ great producing mare Yallah Terrace, has recorded seven wins and eight placings from 35 starts earning $144,195.
This campaign the frontrunning mare recorded placings at Canterbury second and third-up before failing at Rosehill, when the jarring up problem first set in, and a last-start four lengths eighth to Big Bad Joel over 1350m at Wyong on December 22.
Bartley said General’s Sniper won the private trial by 100 metres.
“She won as she liked, went great and I’ve been happy with her since,” he said.
“I think she’s actually going better this time in than last year before she won the Cup.”
As a jockey Bartley won the 1990 Gilgandra Cup aboard Purple Lover for Gwenda Markwell and has figured prominently in the day’s other feature, the $12,000 Gilgandra Town Plate (1100m), winning last year with Master Gaze (Glenn Lynch), Skullas Sister (Michael Travers) in 2010 and Shepishir with Ryan aboard in 2006.
Ryan has made the Gilgandra Cup his own in recent years.
His winning run began aboard Top Sodbuster, trained by John Lundholm, in 1995.
His other wins have been on Satin Reserve (1996), Double The Ton (1998), Northern Glow (2000), Nepelle (2001), Antonia’s Music (2002), Shagny Lover (2004) and General’s Sniper last year.
AAP TURF
