Australia: Oamanikka faces softer in Snake Gully Cup

The 5-year-old Australian gelding Oamanikka was overmatched in a seven-furlong handicap on the undercard of the Melbourne Cup program at Flemington on Nov. 2.

A little more than a week later, Oamanikka is well suited to the conditions of the Snake Gully Cup at seven furlongs at Gundagai Racecourse on Friday.

Trained by Donna Scott, Oamanikka has won 5 of 13 starts. On Nov. 2, he finished ninth by eight lengths at 25-1 against a tougher class of runners than in his preceding races.

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Oamanikka won a handicap at 6 1/2 furlongs at Wagga Wagga Racecourse on Oct. 16 that leaves him firmly in contention in the 12-runner Snake Gully Cup.

Oamanikka does not have the shortest turnaround of the Snake Gully Cup runners. Nictock was third in a handicap at six furlongs at Royal Randwick last Saturday, a day after Snake Gully Cup rival Camp Rifle won the Kempsey Cup at 7 ¼ furlongs.

Nictock and Camp Rifle figure as contenders as mid-priced longshots if they can repeat those races.

Ready to Humble, a 5-year-old gelding trained by Nick Olive, is a deserving favorite for the Snake Gully Cup. Ready to Humble, favored in three of his last four starts, is winless in four races since a seven-furlong handicap at Gold Coast Racecourse on July 31 in which he took his customary role as a stalker.

A few of Ready to Humble’s subsequent starts have been against tougher competition than he will face in this field.

Oamanikka and Ready to Humble are likely to be in pursuit of the highly capable mare Takissacod, who won a seven-furlong handicap at Wagga Wagga on Oct. 29 for her second victory in her last three starts.

Takissacod is also trained by Scott, having joined her stable earlier this year.

The Snake Gully Cup is the top race on an eight-race program that begins at 9:10 p.m. Eastern or 6:10 p.m. Pacific on Thursday. Wagering is available through DRFBets.com.