Prince Of Helena will look to add another Country Cup to Craig Weeding’s mantlepiece when racing at Wodonga on Friday.

Taking on the $100,000 Bet365 Wodonga Gold Cup (1590m), bookmakers have installed the talented 8YO as a $6.50 chance in the very open event.

Stable jockey Jake Duffy takes the ride, and with just 54kg on his back, Prince Of Helena draws nicely with gate two.

A nine-time winner, having earned just shy of $400,000 in prize money, the Sidestep gelding was back to his best last start, finishing a gallant second in the Tatura Cup.

Finding himself in an unusual position of leading the 1450m event, Prince Of Helena tried hard in defeat, going down by a length to Steal The Sun.

Up in distance at Wodonga, Prince Of Helena will be better suited to more ground and an event with much more early speed.

In the second feature race on the Wodonga program, the Premier Building and Construction Dunstan Sprint (1300m), up-and-coming stable star Make It Sweet resumes from a short let-up.

Having won four on the trot, including a treble of victories to commence her most recent preparation, the 4YO rose through the grades and kept finding more for connections.

At Wodonga, Make It Sweet is drawn awkwardly in gate 11 and with 60kg, but with Jake Duffy in the saddle, she’s every chance for the team.

On a big day for the stable, Ruperts Red Rocket steps up in distance when contesting the Carlton Draught Ollie Cox Memorial Benchmark 64 Handicap (2050m).

After racing at Moonee Valley last start, the 6YO four-time winner draws gate seven and has Duffy’s services.

Rounding out the team’s chances at Wodonga is Mentalia in the Blacklocks GWM Benchmark 64 Handicap (1100m).

Milos Bunjevac takes the ride for the Weeding Racing team, and connections draw wide with gate 11.

If the 4YO can rediscover the same form that saw him win his first two starts at Leeton and Cootamundra, the Menari gelding is another live chance.

Craig and the team are off to Wagga the following day, where they have three chances.

No Quarantine (Sarah McDonough, gate 1) and Maid In Dubai (Jake Duffy, gate 11) take on the Viewco Xmas Party Cup Benchmark 50 Handicap (1200m), and Heavenly Prophet (Jake Duffy, gate 4) will resume in the Riverina Motor Group Benchmark 50 Handicap (1065m).

Words: Jeff Hanson
Image: Daily Advertiser

Craig Weeding is daring to dream in Tuesday’s $3 million Big Dance, with the 2022 Gundagai Cup and 2023 & 2024 Narrandera Cup winner Prince Of Helena representing the Wangaratta stable in the 1600m feature race.

With stable jockey Jake Duffy in the saddle, the eight-year-old nine-time winner will enter Tuesday’s feature third-up following a short let-up.

Weeding was here in 2023, with Prince Of Helena finishing down the track to Attractable, but a year on, connections are confident their stable star can run a big race.

“We’re pretty happy with him and how things have gone this time,” Weeding said.

“We’ve done things a little different, and he’s going into the race on fresher legs; he’s ready to step up to the mile third-up.

“There are no concerns in any way, he has drawn well, and he gets in with a nice, light weight and we’ll take Jake Duffy with us.”

Prince Of Helena arrived in Sydney on Sunday, with Weeding giving his galloper every chance.

“That’s another slight change; we’re giving him an extra day this time,” Weeding said.

The Sidestep gelding is primed to fire third-up following two impressive runs.

First-up in a 1400m Benchmark 84 Handicap at Sandown Hillside, Prince Of Helena finished only three and a half lengths off the pace when running fifth to Freak Of Nature in late September.

Last month, the Big Dance bound galloper finished strongly to run third when beaten only one and a half lengths to Poison Chalice in the 1440m Benchmark 84 Handicap at Caulfield.

Poison Chalice franked that form ten days later when finishing fifth and beaten just over a length by Plenty Of Ammo in the Group 2 Crystal Mile at Moonee Valley.

“He was underdone first-up, and that’s knowing that we wanted him to be peaking third-up,” Weeding said.

“Second-up, he exceeded expectations; he’s come on nicely from that run, and the winner has since come out and ran a good race in the Group 2 Crystal Mile.”

Despite being a 70/1 chance in the Big Dance, Prince of Helena boasts form around some of the more highly fancied runners, including $6 chance, Here To Shock.

“He’s got good form, and some of his prior form has been around good horses,” Weeding said.

“Even Here to Shock, who is probably the favourite to win the race; Prince met him before in the Golden Mile, and he only finished a length behind him.

“When you look at the horses he has come up against during his career, his form reads pretty solid, plus he gets in down in the weights (53kg), and he draws well.”

Only time will tell if Prince Of Helena is up to the task in Tuesday’s Big Dance, but regardless of the result, he won’t lose any admirers.

Supporters can tune in at 2.20pm on Tuesday to watch the Big Dance.