Country cups specialist Moss “N’ Dale has been given the top weight for the $50,000 Gold Nugget, 1600m, in Ballarat on Sunday.
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The Moe galloper will carry 65kg if trainer Peter Gelagotis chooses to run the six-year-old in the time-honoured event.
A last-start Moonee Valley winner over the same distance, Moss “N’ Dale won the Sale Cup last spring in a campaign which also produced a third in the Seymour Cup,
Second in 2017 Echuca Cup, Moss “N’ Dale was also runner-up in the Winter Championship earlier this year.
Ballarat Turf Club has 34 nominations for the Gold Nugget, including eight from Darren Weir’s stable and two from the Ballarat team of Mitch Freedman.
Weir’s entries are headed by Melbourne and Caulfield Cups hope Guardini, and Melbourne Cup nomination Sixties Groove.
Sixties Groove is second in the weights with 61.5kg
Guardini has 59.5kg – behind 11yo Jacquinot Bay on 60.5kg out of the Team Hayes stable.
Freedman’s duo includes Not To Know and Patricia Anne on the minimum 54kg.
Freedman was one of four Ballarat trainers to have winners at Pakenham on Tuesday.
He won with Kev's Lad ($5) in a benchmark58 handicap, 1600m; Michelle Payne continued her excellent start to the season with The Tick Of It ($6) in a maiden, 1200m; Matt Cumani won with No Reward ($2.70 favourite) in a benchmark58, 1000m; and Weir saluted yet again with Soluminate ($2.20 favourite) in a maiden, 1400m.