Chris Heywood with the 2019 XXXX Gold Gundagai Cup. Class Clown has received an exemption for the Wagga Gold Cup next month after claiming the $32,000 XXXX Gold Gundagai Cup on Sunday.
Gasworx took up the running in Gundagai before Class Clown took the lead at the 500 metre mark. He went on with it inside the 200 metre mark to salute the judge. Owned by Craig Hardy and trainer Chris Heywood, Class Clown has been nominated for Wagga on Sunday in the $37,000 Kooringal Stud 2019 Murrumbidgee Cup over 1800 metres. The $170,000 Wagga Gold Cup over 2000 metres will be the 7 year old geldings aim. Apprentice jockey Josh Richards claimed 1.5 kilos on the Bon Hoffa sired star with the win paying $21 and some punters getting as high as $40 depending on the agency. It was Heywood’s first Gundagai Cup. Class Clown missed a start in the Albury Gold Cup last month, and then again last week as the Tullibigeal Picnic Cup was washed out. Heywood was very happy with the win after some mixed results from the ‘Clown’ who ran second last at Corowa on March 9 before a freshening of 4 weeks due to washed out race meetings. Heywood said. “It’s a great race to win, it really is, the horse ran a super race, Josh rode him perfectly.” Class Clown won the 1600 metre race on Town Plate day at the Wagga carnival last year. The year before, he won the 2000m race on the same day. Heywood cannot wait for a crack at the Cup with Class Clown. He said, “We probably would have struggled to get him in but now we are exempt with the Gundy win.” Heywood heaped praise upon his young jockey, he said ”I’ve got a lot of trust in him and it’s great to see him win this race.”
