Canberra runners eye record assault on Moruya Cup meeting
In potentially the strongest form race on the program, it is one of the capital’s more popular gallopers, Vella Fox, that is set to strike at good odds.
By Neil Evans
January 4, 2026 — 4.31pm
A swag of Canberra-based runners head up a record assault on Monday’s feature Moruya Cup meeting.
And in potentially the strongest form race on the program, it’s one of the capital’s more popular gallopers that is set to strike at good odds.
Gratz Vella (right) has Vella Fox in a very open Moruya Town Plate.Credit: Getty
Vella Fox, a tough and still lightly raced seven-year-old, emerges as one of the better each-way chances in a very open Moruya Town Plate over 1200m, 15 days after he was unlucky not to have won the Prelude.
Based in the stable of veteran Canberra horseman Gratz “Twinkle Toes” Vella, the gelding is gunning for a sixth win from only 21 starts, and opened about $7.50 in what looms as a deep and open betting sprint.
Four days before Christmas Vella Fox had nothing go his way in the lead-up, missing the start and then being checked in the straight at a vital time when making up plenty of ground.
This is a tougher assignment, but the son of Foxwedge has never raced better, and has only missed a place once from four starts at the track.
He is one of six Canberra runners lining up in the 14-strong field, including early favourite Fine Vintage ($5) from the Luke Pepper yard.
The big stumbling blocks are likely to be Kembla-based six-year-old Your Not The Boss, which opened about $5.50, and Goulburn’s King Taurus ($6).
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Meanwhile, the Pepper stable can pull off a daring smash-and-grab raid at big odds in the feature Cup over 1425m, and grab a berth in the $3 million Big Dance at Randwick later in the year in the process.
Super Extreme, an underrated seven-year-old with five wins from 29 starts, opened well into double-figure odds, but reloads off a strong closing run in the Narooma Cup at this track a fortnight ago. Winning that race narrowly was the likely favourite here, the Kembla-based Dumebi, which opened about $4.40, but is likely to jump shorter.
Canberra gallopers provide virtually half the field on a day when up to half of the winning prize pool on the eight-race program could be headed back over the mountains and into the ACT.
_Supplied by Racing NSW
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