Five horses to follow from this year's Wagga Gold Cup carnival

With all the races run and one for another year, The Daily Advertiser sports editor Matt Malone takes a look at five horses to follow from the carnival.

Probably the flashing light run of the carnival. The Paul Murray-trained filly was making her debut in the Super Maiden Plate (1200m) on Gold Cup day and there was good stable confidence with her starting on the second line of betting at $5.50. She settled in the back half of the field but copped the backwash of some interference around the 700m mark that put her back last coming into the straight. Once Blaike McDougall got busy on the three-year-old, she made up a stack of ground and flashed home to finish on the heels of the placegetters and just two lengths from the winner, Ludovica. It wasn't the strongest maiden of the carnival but you could back Divine Ella with confidence wherever she heads next start.

Another three-year-old filly to follow from Gold Cup day here. It's A Wonder started a well-backed favourite in the MTC Guineas where she was taking on the boys over the mile. She was back a long start coming into the straight but wound up and attacked the line savagely, finishing three quarters of a length from the winner, Invincible Spy. It's A Wonder was the only horse to make ground from back in the field in the Guineas, on a day where on-pacers dominated. Trained by Gerald Ryan and Sterling Alexiou, the well-bred It's A Wonder looks to want further and may head up to Queensland for the winter carnival. Her pacing pattern doesn't lend itself to winning all the time, but she's one to follow, she looks to have a good race in her.

The Wagga Gold Cup is always a good race to follow moving forward and the run of the race in this year's edition was undoubtedly the winner, Fawkner Park. The five-year-old Irish import became the first horse in 35 years to complete the Albury-Wagga Gold Cup double and did it by storming home from last. Fawkner Park won his first four races upon arrival in Australia and now has an imposing record of seven wins from 15 starts. Annabel Neasham has flagged that he will now head to Queensland and in his current form, there's no reason why he won't keep on winning.

The two-year-old race at the carnival is always one of the most intriguing and this year's edition saw the debut of a pretty smart filly in Snow In May. The last time John O'Shea won this race was with Lion's Roar, defeating the unlucky Another One, who went on to group one glory. While there could be a query on what she beat at Wagga last week, it was the manner she did it in. She cruised up to the lead and then found plenty when challenged late. She's gone straight to the paddock but the well-bred filly is one to follow next preparation.

Another three-year-old filly from the Paul Murray stable that made a strong impression on debut. The Super One filly was in the market on debut and sat up outsider the leader and winner, Hulm, and ran him to a close margin in the end. Third home was Bambi Belle who had been competitive in some strong maidens at provincial level and they gapped the rest of the field by eight lengths. One Smart Cookie should take enormous benefit from the debut and will be hard to beat in any sort of country maiden at her next start.