That's Molly is looking good and primed to defend Wingham Cup

That's Molly was ridden by Milligan's then stable apprentice, Zac Wadick, when she fought hard to score the narrowest of wins in last year's Wingham Cup.

This time she'll be ridden by Milligan's current apprentice, Teighan Worsnop, whose claim will bring the five-year-old's weight down from the allotted 60 kilograms to 58.

That's Molly's recent form reads well for a race like the Wingham Cup.

She finished a with a brilliant late burst to come from well back on the home turn and win the Country Championships Northern Wild Card race over 1400 metres at Scone on March 22.

After finishing well back in the Country Championships Final over 1400 metres at Randwick on April 6 she was freshened up before running a solid fourth in the Gunnedah Cup over 1600 on May 6.

"I thought her run at Gunnedah was pretty good seeing she hadn't gone around for six weeks," Milligan said.

"She raced a bit fresh for her and probably just blew out a bit over the last 100 metres, so the improvement is there in her going into this race.

"Our stable is shooting for three straight wins in the Wingham Cup. Texas Storm won it two years ago when he was still in dad's name before dad passed away and then That's Molly won it last year.

"It'll be a Heavy 10 surface at Taree, but that won't bother her. She gets through the wet very well.

"Her style is to get back a bit and the rail at Taree will be out three metres, so the only worry for me is that the track will probably race very leaderish.

"She won't want to get too far back but you can't ride them outside their pattern because it brings them undone, so we'll just have to try to find the right balance."

That's Molly has raced 22 times for six wins. Four of those wins have come at Taree, over 1300 metres, 1400 (twice) and the 1614 of the Wingham Cup.

And each of her Taree wins came on a wet track - one on a Soft 5, another on a Soft 7 and two on a Heavy 8.

"Yeah, she definitely loves racing at Taree," Milligan said. "It's always beneficial for the horses when you don't have to travel and you can just walk them across from the stable to the track.

"It's been difficult for all of the trainers around here over the last few months with all of the rain and washed-out meetings.

"It makes it that much harder to find the right races for your horses.

"I've been looking for the right race for That's Molly and I had this one in mind all along. It looks good for her and I think she'll be very hard to beat."

PROMINENT owner Bruce Mackenzie has a strong hand in the Glass 24/7 Corey Brown Cup Benchmark 82 Handicap over 1262 metres at Taree on Sunday, with his two acceptors Oakfield Duke and Oakfield Eagle each boasting impressive form.

It remains to be seen if the Kris Lees-trained Oakfield Duke runs in this race as the five-year-old gelding is also an acceptor for Monday's meeting at Canterbury, but if he does go to Taree it looks a great race for him.

Oakfield Duke overcame huge difficulties trying to get a clear passage in the straight before finally seeing daylight and storming home to win a midweek Benchmark 72 race over 1250 metres on a Heavy 9 track at Kensington on May 15.

He had been knocking on the door in several previous runs this campaign and an increase in distance for his most recent run made all the difference.

Four-year-old gelding Oakfield Eagle, trained by Damien Lane, is primed to go first-up after not having raced since January. He finished off nicely for second in a barrier trial over 1200 metres at Gosford on May 20.

Oakfield Eagle has very good wet-track form as well. He broke through for his Maiden win over 1600 metres on a Heavy track at Gosford on November 25 last year and looks certain to start at Taree since he is not nominated for any other meetings at this time.

Mackenze-owned horses traditionally have the Oakfield moniker in their names. Whether only one or both of his horses run in this race, he's a big chance of picking up a win.