Another Valley and Ever So Natural have booked their tickets to the $400,000 Country Championship at Randwick by running one-two in the Taree heat of the series.
Prepared by veteran trainer Bob Milligan and ridden by Grant Buckley, Another Valley ($12) wore down the leaders to claim Ever So Natural ($7) by 1-1/2 lengths in Sunday’s qualifier.
Ever So Natural’s trainer Cliff Bashford also had the $2.20 race favourite Ocean Grand who beat just one runner home.
Milligan’s son Glenn said Another Valley had earned a chance at the final.
“If we got beaten today she was going to the paddock but you’ve got to have a crack when the money’s there,” Milligan told Sky Thoroughbred Central.
“I was a bit worried when she was tardy away but she’s just getting better and better.
“She is only a baby being a three-year-old.”
The Taree qualifiers join Saturday’s Wagga winner Steakandbearnaise and runner-up Mitchell Road.
Steakandbearnaise is trained by Brett Cavanough at Albury while Mitchell Road is from Chris Heywood’s Wagga stable.
The final is at Randwick on April 2.
