Peter Sinclair: Veteran trainer has Scout primed for Moree Cup

But underestimating him in hometown features is the bush equivalent of underrating the late great Bart Cummings on the first Tuesday in November.

The celebrated local has won numerous country features including the Moree Cup on three occasions and the Boolooroo Picnic Cup an amazing 12 times.

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Unusually, Sinclair is an outsider in Moree Cup betting this year. Scout, who was sacked by two previous trainers, will be ridden by 3kg-claiming apprentice Jacob Golden.

Sinclair is disappointed that stablemate Rumberella, owned by his longtime mate Danny Bourke, was balloted out of the race.

"Danny owned my first Moree Cup winner, Storm Boy, in the early 1980s," Sinclair said.

Scout was originally with the strong Edmonds stable on the Gold Coast, before being moved to Mitch Beer at Albury.

Sinclair said the five-year-old gelding's light weight (55kg) and inside barrier draw [three] meant he was "a rough hope" in the race.

"I've got better chances in other races, but he's in good order and you've got to be in it for the level of prizemoney [on offer]," the trainer said.

"He [Scout] did win at Doomben and the Gold Coast way back as a three-year-old. He's not near that form now [although] his Armidale placing was good in a lot weaker grade."

The $40,000 Moree Cup is the feature on an eight-race TAB meeting - with the prizemoney for the other races $30,000.

"[I've] never seen prizemoney like it - that's why the bigger stables are here for the Cup with the right horses," Sinclair said. "It's harder every year [to win].

"But great to see. [I've] never seen it so good in country racing, after those hard times."

Of his nine runners on the day, Sinclair believes that his best chance is Kiss and Tell (race four). The six-year-old mare was a last- start winner at Inverell and will be ridden by Golden.

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