JOE Ible is chasing a debut Bong Bong Cup victory on Friday, upholding a promise he made 12 months ago.
The Kembla Grange trainer will start former Newcastle mare Consider It Ready in the coveted picnic event.
Ible made his first visit to the annual Bong Bong meeting last year with one runner Fiancetto – and returned home a winner.
“Dylan Parrott works for leading Kembla Grange trainers Rob and Luke Price, and rode Fiancetto for me in a Class B Handicap (1200m),” Ible said on Thursday.
“I promised him we would come back this year, and this time we’re both chasing the Cup (1560m).”
Consider It Ready, a four-year-old daughter of More Than Ready, was a $50,000 yearling purchase for Australian Bloodstock and had five starts for leading Newcastle trainer Kris Lees.
She won a Taree Maiden Plate (1400m) on April 2 and was put on the market after finishing fifth there 18 days later in a Class 1 Handicap (1400m) on heavy ground.
Ible bought Consider It Ready online through Inglis in May for $6500.
He won first-up with the mare at $21 in a Benchmark 50 Handicap (1200m) at Canberra on September 20, and she has raced well at three subsequent starts.
Consider It Ready was placed at both Queanbeyan meetings on October 13 and 25 before finishing sixth to form mare Welcometobarbados in a Provincial Benchmark 64 Handicap (1400m) at Kembla Grange last Saturday.
“One of the reasons I bought the mare was to try to win the Bong Bong Cup,” Ible said.
“After her two Queanbeyan placings, I wanted to run her again before going to Bong Bong and that’s why she started at home last Saturday.
“She ran a nice race, pulled up well and is ready to go.
“I had heard a lot about the Bong Bong meeting and had never been there until last year when we won with Fiancetto (beating fellow provincial trainers, Kembla’s Brett Lazzarini had runner-up Berenike, and Wyong’s Kristen Buchanan had third placegetter Foxford Babe)
“Of course it would be great to come home with the Cup, and we’re going back this year with three runners (Chiky Chiky Mama and Sussu are contesting supporting races).”
Ible is up against the might of the Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott stable, which has topweight and dual city winner Rocketeer Girl (Leandro Ribeiro) lining up.
The Waterhouse-Bott combination won the Cup with Frenzied in 2019 and finished second last year with odds-on favorite Ritzytwenties (Ribeiro) when the popular annual fixture returned after a four-yar hiatus.
Ible is one of three provincial trainers hoping to take the 2024 Cup home.
Fellow Kembla Grange trainer Diane Poidevin Laine has Storm De Lune (Paul Zerafa), and Newcastle’s Andrew Macdonald has Recap (Ricky Blewitt).
Story John Curtis, November 21, 2024 - Pics Bradley Photos
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