Pepperwood wins Coffs Harbour Cup

by AAP

SYDNEY, Aug 2 AAP - Victorian jockey Danny Nikolic's pilgrimage to the Coffs Harbour Cup carnival has reaped its rewards with six winners including the feature on Pepperwood.

Nikolic rode three winners on the first day of the meeting in the NSW north-coast town and backed up with another treble on Thursday.

He was at his best on the Liam Birchley-trained Pepperwood, taking the short way home along the rails on the eight-year-old.

"It's the third year I've come here," Nikolic said.

"Coffs Harbour has been good to me. They invite me every year and I really enjoy it."

Brisbane-based Birchley admitted he had some concerns about Pepperwood as the ground dried out with Thursday's track put up a slow (6).

"I was worried when the track dried out a bit," he said.

"He is a good horse but he's getting a bit hard to place as he's up in the weights."

Birchley said there were no thoughts of retirement for Pepperwood who has won 10 of his 56 starts and earned more than $965,000.

"I'm hoping to crack the million (dollars) with him,' he said.

Pepperwood ($5.50) beat favourite Clever Hans ($5 fav) by 1-1/2 lengths with another 1-3/4 lengths to Erinsea ($6.50) third.

Nikolic won the other feature on Thursday's program, the Daniel Baker Sprint, aboard the Trevor Hardy-trained Symposium.

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