Geoff Woodruff will attempt to end a hoodoo when sending out the robust Australian-bred mare Wild Ash in Saturday’s Gr 1 eLan Property Group Gold Cup over 3200m at the Super Saturday meeting at Greyville.

The five-time champion trainer has finished second in the country’s premier staying race no fewer than four times.

Wild Ash had a pleasing grass gallop last Friday at Summerveld, where she has been staying in the Dennis Bosch yard.

The Gold Cup will be the culmination of a carefully laid out plan.

She needed her penultimate start when fifth in a Pinnacle Stakes event over 2400m at the Vaal and then showed her class over staying trips last time out when rallying back in the Gr 2 Gold Vase over 3000m at Greyville on Vodacom Durban July day to finish a 0,75 length second. She beat Solid Speed by a neck in the Gold Vase and will now be 3kg worse off. However, she should now be cherry ripe and that last race proved she would stay this trip.

Woodruff also pointed out that as a relatively lightly raced horse, considering she is turning five on Gold Cup day, she would not be going in “tired”.

He was also not concerned about her Gold Cup jockey Donavan Mansour having never been aboard her in a race before as he said she was “a pretty straight forward ride”. However, he admitted that her draw of 12 was a tad tricky.

Woodruff has pointed out before that he hardly considers Wild Ash to be a filly as she is a “big, strong girl” and quite masculine in countenance. She will definitely not be intimidated by her male rivals or be pushed around.

The Dylan Thomas mare has snuck into the handicap with the minimum weigh of 52kg and as a 20/1 shot with Betting World she could offer good each-way value.

By David Thiselton

Picture: Geoff Woodruff