Signs point to a triple triumph for in-form gelding

There is a confident spark about jockey Brooke Stower when she talks about her Coonabarabran Cup ride Point Counterpoint that suggests she expects the in-form gelding to make it three straight at Coonamble on Sunday.

The $75,000 Coonabarabran Bowling Club Cup (1600m), transferred to Coonamble, could be an important race for the Stirling Osland-trained five-year-old, who has a spot waiting for him in the $500,000 Little Dance at Royal Randwick on November 1.

Stower rode Point Counterpoint into second place in the Armidale Cup in December last year, making him eligible for the $2m Big Dance, but as a runner-up he was down the ballot order for the main event. She rode him again in his first-up Moree Cup win at Tamworth last month.

She wasn’t on board in his last-start Canterbury win, with Osland using apprentice Zac Lloyd’s claim, but it confirmed to the in-form 28-year-old that he’s come back a better horse from his extended break.

“Stirling was extremely confident going into the Moree Cup about how well he’d come back,” Stower said. “He was just a class above them. To do what he did first-up was enormous, and he went on and he won again.

“It was a good win at Canterbury wasn’t it. It’s always a step to go from country back to the metros and he did a good job.

“He’s a really nice horse going forward, and at least you know he handles all conditions.”

It has been a month since Point Counterpoint’s Canterbury win and Stower said that will likely work in his favour, with another target on Tuesday week.