Goulburn trainer Scott Collings says the final Kosciuszko slot-holder would be “silly” not to pick Cruizingthestars after the four-year-old mare’s impressive win in last Saturday’s 1000-metre Class 3 TAB Highway Handicap at Randwick. 
With Jason Collett in the saddle, the $3 favourite finished strongly to reel in leader Oh Arthur and win by a long neck, with Brave Xena a head away in third. 
“Brett Cavanough used this race a few years ago with It’s Me (who went on to win the Kosciuszko) so it made sense to get going today,” Collings said. 
“She’s a lovely horse and I’m hoping off that win we can get the slot that’s still available for the ‘Kosci’.
“Off that performance, I think they’d be silly not to pick her. She’s a (mare) with a lot of upside. This was only her fifth start in a race and she’s won four
Collett expects the extra 200 metres of the $2 million Kosciuszko at Randwick on October 17 would suit Cruizingthestars.
“She’ll improve from that as the distances increase. She’s only lightly raced so her race craft will continue to get better too,” he said.
’Garry so gutsy
The Joseph Ible-trained Barrengarry showed plenty of determination under Zac Lloyd to win the 1600-metre Midway at the Randwick meeting by three-quarters of a length from All Star. 
Sent out a $1.65 favourite despite having to carry top weight of 60.5 kilos, Barrengarry was trapped three wide throughout. 
“I think that will be his final Midway,” Kembla Grange-based Ible said following the win. “Hopefully he can progress through the grades. 
“He’s just a tough horse to do it the way he did today with the big weight. He really pinned the ears back and wanted that win. 
“He’s improved with every run and I think this will top him off in terms of fitness.
“He’s still a work in progress and I’m looking forward to the rest of his career.”
Lloyd has been aboard for all four of Barrengarry’s victories and said this was “probably his best win yet”.
 “He was three and four wide, carrying 60.5 kilos with the rail out six metres. It was no easy feat but he never really felt like getting beaten.”
Agent completes mission
The 1400-metre benchmark 78 at the Randwick meeting saw Night Agent ($4.40), trained at Newcastle by Kris Lees and ridden by James McDonald, dash clear over the concluding stages to record an impressive 2¼-length win over Unleeshing. 
“It was a really good win today and a magnificent ride,” Lees said. 
“I was guarded early in the week on whether we’d run. Obviously (after scratchings) he came into barrier 10. James came out and said he’d be one-one so I was happy with that and that’s where he was. 
“He’s still a little bit of a work in progress and has a long way to go but he’s certainly going the right way.”
Wulf eats up cup
At Newcastle the previous afternoon, all the talk was about Matthew Smith’s rising star stayer Aethelwulf, an effortless 2½-length winner of the $300,000 Group 3 Newcastle Gold Cup (2300m) as a $1.20 favourite under Zac Lloyd. 
City stables swept the features, with the 1500-metre Cameron Handicap going to the Waterhouse/Bott-trained Fully Lit ($5.50), ridden by Regan Bayliss, and the 1400-metre Tibbie Stakes to the Bjorn Baker-trained $3.60 favourite Perfumist, ridden by Rachel King.
The same afternoon at Canberra, local trainer Luke Pepper and jockey Jean Van Overmeire combined for a double.
Van Overmeire rode another double at Nowra on Sunday, sharing the honours with Brodie Loy and Pierre Boudvillain. 
At Armidale the same afternoon, the 1300-metre Super Maiden saw the Stirling Osland-trained local mare Highland Dancer ($3.50) romp away to an impressive 4¼-length win under Mikayla Weir.
Port Macquarie trainer Cassandra Schmidt notched a double, as did jockeys Braith Nock and Daniel Smith.
Country cornucopia
Another spring weekend brings country features aplenty, starting with Friday’s $85,000 Lismore Cup (1516m) in the Northern Rivers district, supported by the $50,000 Untamed Sprint (1200m).
Saturday is cup day at Jerilderie in the Riverina, at Grenfell in the central west and at the Come-By-Chance picnics in the north, with the features over 1400, 1670 and 1400 metres respectively.
Sunday is Dubbo’s big day, with the $150,000 Dubbo Gold Cup (1600m) supported by the $75,000 Vincent Gordon Flying (1100m). It’s also Port Cup Prelude day at Port Macquarie.