The Ladbrokes Country Classic final will be run on Saturday night. Here’s our preview of the final, including our tip to claim the $100,000 winner’s cheque:
Ayden’s Warrior | Jodie Lord
Best Dubbo 605m Time: 34.45
Best Track & Distance 1st Split: 9.05
Track & Distance Record: 1: 1-0-0
Box 1 History: 2: 2-0-0
Ladbrokes Price: $1.95
Final Thought: Deserved favourite after flying in the semis and going just a length outside the track record. It was only a five dog field but to beat Kangaroo Jack by 15.5 lengths was pretty impressive. Most importantly, he draws the red on the bend at Dubbo which has already provided two of the three Country Classic champions. He’s riding a five-win streak for the Lord kennel, with four of them coming over the middle-distance at both Dubbo and Dapto. He’s been in two feature finals already in his 26 start career, finishing second in the Dapto Middle Distance Championship in October before running fourth to Sooty Keeping in the Collerson pre-Christmas. Half-brother to Punters Bandit and Doonan and looks hard to beat.
Final Thought: Didn’t have much luck in the early stages of her heat run behind Late Night News but she hit the line well. Clearly playing second fiddle to her brother in Box 1 though and would need to find a few lengths to take this out. Surprisingly, she hasn’t actually won a race since December 19 and that victory was in a fifth-grade race at Dapto over the 600m. This quality of field is far superior to that level of racing but Box 2 helps. Her future looks like it will be over further as she doesn’t quite have the brilliance of Ayden’s Warrior.
Ray Dixon with Lucky Blue Book
Flash On By | Jack Smith
Best Dubbo 605m Time: 34.87
Best Track & Distance 1st Split: 9.21
Track & Distance Record: 2: 1-1-0
Box 3 History: 3: 1-1-1
Ladbrokes Price: $26
Final Thought: The only local in the field will start at big odds despite being prepared by the master Jack Smith. Flash On By took out the Dubbo heat of the series two weekends ago in what was a very messy race, before mustering his way into second spot behind a rampant Jungle Johnny in the semi-finals. He’s still only lightly raced with 16 starts but his litter have won plenty of races and includes the talented Flash Boom Bang and Talk About Class. Could be cut off early by the speed in Box 4 but it’d be a big story if Smith can go back-to-back.
Flash On By with Maree Smith and connections
Gets Late Early | Minnie Finn
Best Dubbo 605m Time: 34.72
Best Track & Distance 1st Split: 8.80
Track & Distance Record: 1: 0-1-0
Box 4 History: 8: 3-1-2
Ladbrokes Price: $8.50
Final Thought: One of the main speed influences in the race and looks the leader through the winning post for the first time. She was electric early last weekend but hopefully for connections’ sake she doesn’t run off through the catching pen again because that well and truly cost her the race behind Go Bears. She’s been an iron dog since bursting onto the scene in the G1 Futurity last January and this will be her eighth feature final in just over 12-months. Finn won the inaugural edition of the race with Zipping Kyrgios in 2022 and would love to do it again with this versatile star. Could lead for a long way.
Minnie Finn alongside Gets Late Early
Kangaroo Jack | Sydney Swain
Best Dubbo 605m Time: 35.53
Best Track & Distance 1st Split: 9.22
Track & Distance Record: 1: 0-1-0
Box 5 History: 10: 3-4-2
Ladbrokes Price: $23
Final Thought: Bobs up in a feature final every few months and is now preparing for start 84 for Syd Swain. Won a middle-distance feature on Oaks/Derby night at Richmond and then claimed the same track’s heat of the Country Classic on route to the semi-finals. Had to work hard chasing Ayden’s Warrior in the semi and did well to qualify, but there’s a few things against him. He’s boxed terribly with good speed inside and out. He’s only had one look at the tricky Dubbo track. And he’s the second oldest dog in the race. Honest as the day is long though.
Kangaroo Jack with Syd Swain (R) after winning the John Mccombe Memorial at Richmond over the middle-distance
Jungle Johnny | Mark Gatt
Best Dubbo 605m Time: 34.57
Best Track & Distance 1st Split: 9.11
Track & Distance Record: 1: 1-0-0
Box 6 History: 1: 1-0-0
Ladbrokes Price: $3.60
Final Thought: The pre-series favourite has emerged as a star of the chasing scene in the last few months, but this is without doubt his toughest challenge. Has been plagued by bad boxes throughout his short 16-start career and again comes up with another tricky draw (Box 6) in this final. He’s probably the best dog in the race but the one chink in his armour is his getaway speed. If he’s sluggish out, I don’t know how he can get across them. If he’s clean away, he could grab onto the back of Gets Late Early and get a great cart into the contest. He’s only lost one race since going to Mark Gatt and that second in the G1 National Derby was still a sensational run. Won his heat in great fashion and trialled at the track before the series so should nearly know his way around now.
Final Thought: Similarly to Jungle Johnny, this guy has been brilliant so far in 2025. Won the Summer Distance Plate easily in January, then ran third in the G1 Gold Cup at Albion Park, before finishing fourth in the G1 Fanta Bale at The Meadows. Has since returned to NSW and looks even better now with a pair of Country Classic victories in his keeping. Beat home Gets Late Early and Zipping Chaplin in the Gosford preliminary by nearly five lengths, before stomping them into the ground in the semi at Dubbo last Saturday. Seems to be jumping better as well which will only help at the tricky Dubbo 605m start, just can’t see how he’s not posted wide throughout the opening half of the race? Should be hitting the line hardest.
Final Thought: It would be the fairytale story of the race. It would also be good karma for the Ulrick family who volunteered to miss out on the semi-finals after The Richmond was abandoned due to Cyclone Alfred. Instead, a ballot was conducted to see who would advance to Dubbo and Go Bears was selected. Not only did he take part, but he took over his race last Saturday midway through the contest and powered home for a memorable win over Gets Late Early. In a race devoid of electric speed, he’s one dog who can go quick early, but considering the talent in this race and the fact he’s on the other side of four now, he’ll need a lot of luck to win from out there.
The first race at on Saturday night's bumper card at Dubbo goes off at 6:14pm, while the Ladbrokes Country Classic, worth $100,000 to the winner, will be run in Race 7 on the program.
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