For Craig Weeding, the Wangaratta Cup has always been on the radar for the in-form, Make It Sweet, who’s set to be a major player in Saturday’s $100,000 feature race.

The 2000m event has attracted a good field of 12 runners, and Weeding’s Fiorente mare will be suited to the ten-furlong trip and has drawn an absolute treat with gate one.

Stable jockey Jake Duffy takes the ride, and Weeding is confident Make It Sweet is his best chance of landing his first Wangaratta Cup.

“We’re very confident,” Weeding said.

“She is absolutely on song, and we are very happy with her.

“Her preparation has been perfect; it’s early in the prep, and she is still fresh.

“Her lead-up run was over 2000m, and she gets back to her home track, so a lot of things are on her side, which is encouraging.”

A five-time winner, placing an additional nine times in 22 starts, the 5YO has been ultra-consistent.

A winner in a 2000m Benchmark 70 Handicap at the Mildura Cup meeting in July, Make It Sweet, showcased her ability with a dominant 1.5 length win.

Following a spell, she then raced in town, finishing a very good third when first-up in a 1600m No Metro Wins event at Flemington on December 31.

Then taking on the $175,000 VOBIS Gold Reef, the Wangaratta galloper ran second to John Sadler’s handy mare, Merrigold, while beating home some nice horses, including the Patrick and Michelle Payne-trained Jimmy The Bear.

Taking on the VOBIS Gold Heath at Caulfield on February 7, Make It Sweet finished fifth, beaten 4.5 lengths by the red-hot Suntora from the Nick Ryan yard.

Early on in her career, Make it Sweet won four on the bounce, landing victories at Bendigo, Wagga, and Tatura.

Not wanting to rush his promising filly, Weeding has taken his time with her, and connections are reaping the rewards.

“We never rushed her, even when she won a few, and we could have stepped her up in grade,” Weeding said.

“We were patient, and gave her time to mature, and we’re seeing those benefits.”

Make It Sweet gets into the Wangaratta Cup with just 54kg on her back, and with Duffy knowing the mare as well as anyone, there is a lot of confidence in a strong showing.

Also, a chance on the Wangaratta Cup program is stable favourite, Fox Appeal, with Duffy in the saddle and connections drawing gate five in the 1590m Benchmark 70 Handicap.

The Cooma Cup (2024 and 2025) and Balranald Cup (2025) winner has been racing in fine fettle and gets into this event with 60kg.

Weeding and Duffy will also combine with Misil Beauty, who’s set to make her debut in the 1590m Maiden Plate.

The 3YO Wayed Zain filly has been to the trials eight times, including three this year in preparation for her first race start.

Connections will have to deal with the awkward gate draw (12).

In the lead-up to Saturday’s meeting, Wangaratta Turf Club will host their Calcutta this evening, with gates opening at 6 pm.

Supporters and owners are encouraged to get along for a good evening ahead of Wangaratta’s biggest meeting of the year.

Story: Jeff Hanson
Image: Racing Photos

Craig Weeding has called time on the career of stable stalwart, Prince of Helena.

The 9YO Sidestep gelding, out of Lady Of Helena (x Kaapstad), has been a versatile galloper, winning from 1300m to 1800m, and he retires after 59 starts for 9 wins, 23 minor placings, and career earnings of $470,423.

Stunningly, he was picked up for just $4000 during the 2018 Inglis Online sale, but Prince Of Helena soon became a stable favourite amongst staff and supporters alike.

“You would love a stable of horses just like him,” Weeding said.

“He’s been such a consistent horse and turned up every season.

“He’s run four top-four finishes in the Swan Hill Cup as well, which says a lot about how consistent he has been.”

Alongside the likes of Choice Harvest, Big Day Out, and Controversial Miss, Prince Of Helena’s success on the track has largely defined Weeding’s foray into training at Wangaratta.

Known fondly as Prince, he showed promise early on with a trial win at Wodonga in February 2020, and by April of that year, he had won his maiden over 1400m at Wangaratta.

More wins would follow at Echuca (1300m), Wangaratta (1300m), and Ballarat (1500m), as well as an agonisingly close second in the 2021 Swan Hill Cup (1600m), as he built a winning association with stable jockey, Jake Duffy.

Then, the biggest win of Prince’s burgeoning career arrived in April 2022, when he and Duffy combined to take out the Gundagai Cup (1700m).

A near miss in the 2022 Kerang Cup (1800m) followed before the Wangaratta galloper won a 1610m Open Handicap at Albury for Hannah Le Blanc.

Then he travelled to South Australia and triumphed in metropolitan class, taking out the 1800m Benchmark 78 Handicap at Murray Bridge for Campbell Rawiller.

Continuing his breakout year, Prince followed that effort up with placings at Morphettville (1950m), Moonee Valley (2040m), and in the Dubbo Cup (1600m) – becoming a common fixture in Country Cups both sides of the border.

In 2023, he kicked off the season with placings in the $100,000 Echuca Cup (1400m), $200,000 Golden Mile at Bendigo, and $175,000 Swan Hill Cup before breaking through to win the first of his Narrandera Cups (1600m), this time for Holly Durnan.

The result at Narrandera qualified him for the $3 million Big Dance Country Cup final at Royal Randwick, which he contested later that year with regular jockey Jake Duffy in the saddle.

In 2024, a fourth in the Swan Hill Cup (1600m) was followed by a fourth in the Listed David Bourke (1620m) at Flemington before he defended his title in the Narrandera Cup for Jason Lyon and again qualified and contested the $3 million Big Dance at Royal Randwick, with Jake Duffy back in the saddle.

2025 would see much the same for Prince, with a third in the Swan Hill Cup, fifth in the David Bourke, and a gutsy second in the Narrandera Cup – again qualifying him for the Big Dance, which he did not contest.

As recently as November, Prince finished fourth in the Wodonga Cup (1590m), but late last week, Weeding called it, bringing down the curtain on his illustrious career.

For Duffy, he couldn’t pinpoint one win that stood out for Prince Of Helena, but cherished the opportunity to be a part of his journey.

“There wasn’t necessarily one race or one result that stands out, but it was pretty cool to ride him in the Big Dance a couple of times,” Duffy said.

“He was the reason I got my weight down to 52kg; I hadn’t ridden that weight since I was an apprentice, so it shows you what it meant to me to ride him.”

Prince will now spend his days with Duffy and his fiancée, Hannah Edgley, on their farm, where he will retire as a trail horse.

“We’re still building out at Glenrowan, and once that property is up and going, he’ll join us there,” Duffy said.

“Hannah and that do a lot of trail riding, and I need a horse for that, and that’s what he’ll be doing.”

The big fella will certainly be missed, with Weeding’s staff taking the news hard, as Prince is not just a good racehorse, but a beautiful animal, loved and cherished by the team.

“It is bittersweet, but I’d rather him retire healthy and happy,” Duffy said.

“He just had character all around. He was like me in a horse; it was weird, and I don’t know how to describe it, but he was a character."

Words: Jeff Hanson
Image: Racing Photos

Big Day Out has enjoyed racing in the annual Tumut Sprint, winning the event in 2023 and 2024.

In 2023, Big Day Out had Jake Duffy in the saddle and was a class above his rivals, holding off Charming Pat and Mojo Music to score an incredible victory.

A well-supported $3.90 chance on that occasion, it was a special win for the stable, which scored three victories on the program.

In 2024, connections had to wait to find out their fate after Big Day Out, the $2.60 favourite, initially finished second for Emma Ly, but upon protest, the result was reversed, with the Wangaratta galloper elevated to first ahead of Mojo Music and Fantini.

The eight-year-old Delago Deluxe gelding – now an 11-time winner – has been racing well this preparation, and three starts back, ran a lovely second behind the red-hot Teylu in the 1200m Benchmark 82 Handicap at Wagga.

While second favourite at Tumut today, and unbeaten on the tight-turning track, it’s a tough race.

Cassidy Hill is in the saddle with her three-kilogram claim, meaning Big Day Out will only carry 58kg in the feature.

He does come up against a couple of handy types, including experienced South East sprinter, Kattegat, and in-form Pretty Penguin.

Connections have drawn softly with gate three, and the stable will be hoping for another strong showing at Tumut.

On a busy day for the team, Weeding will also start Tristania (Milos Bunjevac, 57kg) in the 1000m Maiden Plate and Acantilado (Cassidy Hill, 61.5kg) in the 1200m Benchmark 50 Handicap.

Both gallopers were the early favourites in their events and have been racing well.

On Sunday, Weeding has a team of four runners engaged at Wangaratta, with Princess Prussia, Fox Appeal, Melodee Rose, and Paparazzo going around.

 

Words/Image: Jeff Hanson