Bargo To Broken Hill For Godden's Bold Cup Bid

Bargo trainer Tony Godden will embark on stage two of a potential 6500km journey when his star racer Trunkey Chief leads his three-pronged attack on Sunday's Ladbrokes Broken Hill Cup (525m) heats.

Godden made the 1000-plus kilometre trip from Bargo to Broken Hill last weekend to give his team a hit-out at the venue ahead of a tilt at this Sunday's qualifiers of the $25,000-to-the-winner series.

And it was a trip well worth it with kennel charge Trunkey Chief ultra impressive at his track debut, scoring comfortably by 5-3/4 lengths in a slick 30.27 while kennel and littermate Trunkey Shearer finished down the track in sixth.

"Trunkey Chief handled the trip a lot better than Trunkey Shearer but they both handled it better than me," Godden said.

"It was after Trunkey Chief finished second in the (Group 3) Bob Payne earlier in the month that I gave the race some serious thought.

"I thought we might dodge some of the better ones going to Gunnedah (for the Chief Havoc) and I thought the trip out there would be a good experience.

“I couldn't have been happier with how he (Trunkey Chief) went on Sunday, he handled it all and his weight held up.

"But looking at the heats there are some very smart dogs there so it's not going to be easy. 

"He's drawn seven so I'm glad he's had the look at the track. He just needs to get to that first corner in the first two or three to do what he can."

Sunday's Broken Hill Cup heat will serve as Trunkey Chief's 50th racetrack appearance in a career that already boasts 16 wins, 13 placings and almost $75,000 in prize money.

"It'd be nice to win a feature race with him and to say we'd won a Broken Hill Cup would be a bit different," Godden said.

"Hopefully everything goes to plan and we're back for a third week for the final. The locals were really warm and accommodating and I can't speak highly enough of the track surface.

"I wish Wentworth Park was like it – it was perfect."

While the trip to Broken Hill proved rather seamless , Godden admits to making a rookie error en route home first time around.

"I left to do the first leg back to Wentworth on the Sunday night but I won't be doing that again," Godden said.

"It was pretty hairy actually. We encountered emus, kangaroos, goats … you name it.

"We'll stay overnight at Broken Hill this week and next if we're back … I won't be doing that again."

Godden's Broken Hill Cup onslaught launches with Trunkey Chief, drawn box seven in heat one, before Trunkey Shearer lines up from box eight in heat two and Trunkey Mink contests heat four from box two.