He is a district stalwart and a former committee member of Krambach Race Club before it was amalgamated into the Manning Valley Race Club.

And he would be tickled pink if six-year-old mare Capital Magic could win the cup as breeder Peter Killen and other owners were on the board or associated with the club.

Milligan’s son, Glen, said his father had been out of hospital and home for three weeks, had indicated a desire to be trackside, but illness in the last week made this uncertain.

“He loves the former race club and always likes to have a runner or more at the meeting,” Glen said.

His last win in the cup was with gelding Chaperon Bay, ridden by his now daughter-in-law Vicky Schubert, in 2008. Milligan and Schubert combined again to win the last race on that day with mare Nasrulla Queen, it scoring by a short half-head from gelding Good Party, the gelding also trained by Milligan.

Glen said a win by Capital Magic would certainly give his father “a lift.”

“He used to live at Firefly and always knocked about with the Krambach folk…there is a lot of tradition involved.”

Milligan suffered shocking injuries when apparently kicked by a horse in training.

Capital Magic has had five wins, two of them at the track, one at the distance and one in heavy going, that being what the track should be rated at.

“The track looks a picture but we have had plenty of rain,” Glen said.

“My only concern is that she is backing up after a tough run over 1350m at Wyong. She was back in the field and had no chance when the sprint went on over the last three furlongs.”

If the mare has recovered, she rates an each-way hope on a track where she is able to leave her run from back in the field. Ten years ago Chaperon Bay beat another Taree galloper, Our Mr Lord, trained by Michael Byers, and he has Port Gold engaged in the cup this time.

Byers said his six-year-old mare wasn’t suited by leading at Coffs Harbour last start as she normally was allowed to settle and then make her run. “She is a rough chance,” he said.

Possibly the fittest galloper in the field is six-year-old Port Macquarie gelding Backhouse Billy, trained by Jenny Graham, which has won in the soft, placed in the heavy, and is having its fifth run in coming back from the 2000m of the Port Macquarie Cup where it finished a creditable fifth to Sydney’s Exoteric on October 5.

It has placed three times at the track, twice at the distance and could prove hard to run down.

Another hard fit galloper ready for a tough 1600m is “Mr Consistent”, Taree five- year-old gelding Sniponet, trained by Wayne Wilkes, it having won at Tuncurry and Taree before a second in the Jungle Juice Cup at Cessnock.

Newcastle hoop Andrew Gibbons knows every gear on the gelding, is near the top of the premiership wins for jockeys, and consistently rides this course with aplomb.

One of the drawcards at the meeting will be Gosford galloper Zoffany’s Lad, trained by Grant Allard, which is aiming for four wins in a row after two wins here and one at Port Macquarie.

Doug Ryan’s selections for the Krambach Cup day are:

Race one: Sunny Afternoon 1, Barkala 2, Casino Mondial 3.

Race two: Harry And The Duke 1, Malfoy 2, Subtle Grey 3.

Race three: Bid’N’Bare 1, Crowd Surfer 2, Trefanian 3.

Race four: Phelpedo 1, Just Sizzling 2, Good Excuse 3.

Race five: Akamin 1, Tigers Image 2, Princess Snowy 3.

Race six: Kopite 1, Jack The Ringer 2, Fast Tycoon 3.

Race seven: Capital Magic 1, Backhouse Billy 2, Sniponet 3.

Race eight: Zoffany’s Lad 1, Winner’s Lane 2, Shadow Prince 3.

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