Five Albany runners to contest $100,000 TABtouch Regional Championship Final at Ascot

Albany will have strong representation in Saturday’s $100,000 TABtouch Regional Championship Final at Ascot on day three of the Pinnacles carnival. Five Albany trained horses are among the 14 starters for the feature race, with gallopers needing to perform well in regional heats in the lead-up to gain entry into the event. Sneaky Fox won the Albany heat of the championships and is joined by stablemate Mr Causeway from the Roy Rogers yard. Recent stable acquisition Kohli will tackle the race for Rebecca Wallrodt while Getyourmoneyandrun (Paul Hunter) and Starauthoress (Peter Western) are also engaged in the 1200m final. Kalgoorlie’s Talk It Up is the top weight in the race with 60kg for trainer Peter Fernie while Kohli will lump 59.5kg but has the services of champion WA hoop William Pike. Pike is back home in WA for the Pinnacles carnival after relocating to New South Wales during the COVID pandemic. Formerly trained by Lindsey Smith, Kohli ran an eye-catching second to Little Punga in Albany on November 4 before he was beaten by a head by Sneaky Fox in Albany just nine days later. Kohli has won three of his 23 career starts and Wallrodt says he is in top order ahead of the final. “He’s in a really good place and I think I’ve got him going as good as he’s been,” Wallrodt said. “He’s just been unlucky and so close in those last couple of starts, another stride in the heat and he wins it. “Our heat down here was a very even race and the final looks the same with lots of chances. “Willie Pike on, hopefully he can make the difference.” In a major coup, top Group 1-winning jockey Damian Oliver will ride Mr Causeway. They drew barrier five and will carry 57.5kg after being unplaced at Mr Causeway’s first two starts this campaign. Chris Nicoll will retain the mount on rising galloper Sneaky Fox, who is chasing a hat-trick of wins. The rising five-year-old won over 1100m and then backed that up with his heat victory in Albany over 1230m, however their chances in the final were dealt a blow when they drew gate 13. Getyourmoneyandrun is also drawn badly in barrier 12 after getting beaten marginally at his last three starts and will be partnered by Holly Watson. Starauthoress has run consecutive thirds for Western in Albany but the consistent six-year-old gelding will jump from gate two for hoop Jason Whiting. The race is worth more than $50,000 to the winner. Meanwhile racing is expected to return to Mt Barker Turf Club on Friday for the third meeting of the Great Southern season. Frost Park was set to host the first meet of the 2022-23 season but poor weather forced the cancellation of that event and it was rescheduled to Albany a few days later. An eight-race program is set down for Mt Barker on Friday, starting at 1.57pm. Metro trainers Adam Durrant, Darren McAuliffe and Ben and Daniel Pearce all have runners engaged.