3 minute read

Former Moruya trainer Luke Pepper hopes to make a successful return to his former home track next Monday with his rising stable star Hello Schumann.

Pepper has Hello Schumann primed to give Pepper another feature win at Moruya in the Town Plate, the supporting feature race on the Moruya Cup program.

Pepper, well known for his role as Takeover Target’s track rider when the champion sprinter was based at Queanbeyan with Joe Janiak, started his training career at Moruya in 2009 and quickly made his mark winning two Moruya Cups in 2011 and 2012 with Ilringya and two Narooma Cups with Ilringya and Quichang in the same years.

After training more than 60 winners from his Moruya stable Pepper relocated to Canberra last year to further his training career.

This season he has won five races with nine placings from only 33 starters with the talented Marquee, The Big Rig – an entry for next Monday’s Moruya Cup - and Hello Schumann the current core of his team.

Pepper was quick to name the Moruya Town Plate as the immediate target for Hello Schumann after his Wagga win as the 6YO has a win and a second from three starts on his former home track.

“He’s got a ton of ability. He’s just got a few idiosyncrasies that often make things tough for himself,” Pepper said.

Pepper said his long term target for Hello Schuman will be a return to Wagga for the $100,000 Town Plate at the Wagga Cup carnival in May.

The BIg Rig is also primed for a bold showing in the Moruya Cup after three lead-up races in Sydney.