Don’t Give A Damn has assumed favouritism for the $500,000 Country Championship final with his last-chance qualifying win in the Wild Card at Muswellbrook.
The gelding has given trainer Danny Williams a few headaches in his bid to get him to the final on Saturday at Randwick.
He failed as odds-on favourite in his local heat at Goulburn which was won by the Williams-trained Kopi Luwak from stablemates Pumpkin Pie and Acquittal.
The first two in each heat get a berth in the final but Kopi Luwak has gone amiss so Pumpkin Pie and Acquittal both gain starts.
They will now be joined by Don’t Give A Damn who beat the Rod Northam-trained My Tagosan at Muswellbrook.
But Williams admitted he had almost not taken Don’t Give A Damn to the races on Sunday.
“Two days ago I was 100 per cent not coming,” Williams told Sky Thoroughbred Central.
“He is a horse with corns on his feet and the ground has been so firm.
“We got a new farrier and he changed his shoes. We just have to keep him sound.
“He’s fit and well. It’s just his feet.”
Kerrin McEvoy, who has ridden Don’t Give A Damn to four of his five wins, made his first trip to Muswellbrook to ride the gelding who firmed from $6 to $4 for the final with Scone heat winner Suncraze at $4.60.
Newcastle trainer Kris Lees will have six runners in the $500,000 Provincial Championship final on April 14 after Princess Posh and Kool Vinnie ran first and third in the last heat of the series on their home track on Saturday.
Their stablemate Just Dreaming is the $3.50 favourite for the final ahead of the Kim Waugh-trained Manhattan Mist at $6.
