Young gun Moruya trainer Luke Pepper emerged as the Far South Coast “cups king” when he completed a remarkable treble of the region’s three major races with a sterling win by Quichang in the $25,000 Bega Cup over 1600m at Sapphire Coast Turf Club on Sunday.
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Aided by a brilliant ride from star apprentice Taylor Lovelock-Wiggins, Quichang ($11) burst to the front halfway down the straight to score by a decisive length-and-a-quarter from Clever Hans ($6.50) with a short neck to Fine Drop ($11) third and local star Sebony ($5) a further neck away in fourth place.
Thirty-year-old Pepper took out the $22,000 Narooma and Moruya Cups at Moruya last month with Ilringya and completed the treble with Quichang – a feat no one on track could remember ever being achieved by any trainer in the same year previously.
Pepper has a great racing background.
He moved to Moruya to set up his own stables only nine months ago after working for five years with leading Canberra trainer Barbara Joseph and then six years there with Nick Olive.
He also travelled as track work rider for Queanbeyan wonder horse Takeover Target on his successful campaigns to Japan and Hong Kong with trainer Joe Janiak.
Pepper has only had Quichang in his stable for about three weeks after his owner/breeders Robert and Ken Thompson of Queanbeyan decided the six-year-old gelding needed a sea change after a recent run of outs.
