Ladbrokes Goulburn Cup (G3)

Karina's Goulburn Cup Quinella

By Michael Cowley
Promising trainer Karina Britton not only won the $25,000 Ladbrokes Goulburn Cup on Sunday evening with the brilliant Wow, she also collected the quinella with his litter brother Ad Astra. And, to make the wet day even sweeter, Karina owns both dogs.

The pair - also from the same litter that produced TAB Million Dollar Chase runner-up Xerri, and MDC semi-finalist Whitfield - jumped from opposite sides of the draw, Wow in the one and Ad Astra wearing the pink jacket.

While Ad Astra jumped as expected and flew across to the lead, with track record holder Got To Casino, Sovereign King and Firestone Alley all walking out of the boxes, Wow was able to position up right behind his brother.

On the home turn, Wow - a semi-finalist himself in the TAB Million Dollar Chase finishing down the track behind West Australian Tommy Shelby - drove up inside Ad Astra and raced to the lead, being able to hold off his heavily backed kennelmate by three quarters of a length in a stunning 24.33s on the rain sodden track. 


That time is the second fastest ever run at Goulburn over the 440m, bettered only by the 24.29s run by Got To Casino in last week’s heats.

Third place went to the JODIE Lord-trained Rapallo, three and half lengths behind the winner.

The win, his first at Goulburn and his first when wearing the one rug, takes Wow’s record to nine wins and six placing from 18 starts.

The future is obviously bright for both he and his brother Ad Astra who has won five of his seven starts with now one second placing as well, not to mention their trainer Karina Britton.

In the Goulburn club’s other feature on the day, victory went to the Donna Campbell-trained On The Rocks who led all the way in brilliant fashion to the win the Ladbrokes Fireball Final, scoring by four and three quarter lengths from the fast finishing Venom Cartel with Cimarron Strip - owned by Shakeel Latimer whose dog Handsome Prince won the TAB Million Dollar Chase last week - was a close up third.