Faithfull hopeful for home-town debut

Albany jockey Natasha Faithfull will ride outside chance Tee Pee Cat in her first crack at the $100,000 XXXX Gold Albany Cup (2100m) on Sunday at Percy Spencer Racecourse.

Faithfull started her career in racing with an apprenticeship under leading local trainer Steve Wolfe and after a stint in Queensland, has returned full of confidence, ready to take her first ever ride in her hometown cup feature.

The 22-year-old will partner Wolfe’s Tee Pee Cat, which goes into the race having finished fourth to Ningaloo Blitz in last Sunday’s $35,000 Mt Barker Cup (2000m) and will carry the minimum 54.5kg.

Ahead of such an important meeting where she will also ride in the other feature race on the card, the Fitzpatrick Plate, Faithfull said she excited about continuing her good run of form.

“It’s been good coming back to WA but I have had a couple of lengthy suspensions that have set me back a little bit,” she said.

“I’ve been pretty lucky, when I do come back from suspension I have booted home a winner in the meetings down here so hopefully that continues on the weekend.”

Faithfull was buoyed by the run of Tee Pee Cat in the Mt Barker Cup and said she is a very honest horse in these types of races.

“She did a good job,” Faithfull said.

“She ran out the distance really well last week which I thought would be the query on her.

“She is an easy horse to ride so hopefully I can come out and switch her off and then give something at the end.

“She should be in the finish for sure.”

The six-year-old Bearcat mare has won six of her 45 career starts and is part of a dual Wolfe attack on the race with stablemate Ancient Spell also nominated.

Stable rider Shaun McGruddy will link up with the veteran from barrier seven with 54.5kg on his back.

Mt Barker Cup winner Ningaloo Blitz rates as a strong chance after her impressive win on Sunday, with the Darryn Pateman-trained mare shooting for successive Albany Cup victories.

Esperance Cup winner Cut Snake is the 59kg top weight in the staying feature that also includes Cougar Nights fresh off a third in the Bunbury Cup last week along with Tom Almighty and Zarantz.