Few things would please Paul Murray more this week than seeing his family’s famous blue and gold silks salute at Wagga.
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The Kembla trainer is out at the Riverina town with a massive team preparing for the Murrumbidgee Turf Club’s two-day Gold Cup carnival.
The meeting has been a happy hunting ground for Murray and his family in the past, but in 2016 he heads to the town with added purpose.
With one of the best team’s the family has ever assembled for the carnival, Murray hopes to honour his late father Bede.
The legendary trainer was a regular at the country track up until his passing two months ago.
"We always planned on bringing a big team out because Dad loved the town and had made so many friends out here during his time so we did it in honour of him,” Paul Murray said.
"The family has always had a lovely time [at Wagga] and it is such a good week with lovely people.
"Hopefully we can see Dad's colours go past the post first a few times."
Murray is every chance of getting his wish, with the stable holding contenders in all of the marquee races over the two days.
The first of those will come on Thursday when Murray launches a two-pronged attack at the XXXX Gold 2016 Wagga Town Plate (1200m).
Inaugural Provincial Championships winner Sure And Fast and Town Plate Prelude winner Count Dekroner are both set to contest the $100,000 feature.
Sure And Fast is the $3.50 favourite with the TAB and will jump from barrier five with Tye Angland on-board.
"Sure And Fast has had a six month break but his work has been really good," Murray said of his main chance.
"He'll go in without a trial but he has had a few few gallops and seems to be going pretty well.
"We were going to go straight to Brisbane with him, with the aim of going to the Stradbroke, but after that bleeding attack we decided to run him a little closer to home.
"This race popped up and he has drawn ideally.
"It's a step up in company for Count Dekroner but he loves the track."
The following day Lord De Air will run in the Listed Quest Apartment Hotels 2016 Wagga Wagga Gold Cup (2000m) after earning exemption to the race by winning the Gundagai Cup late last month.
"He has done nothing wrong this prep," Murray said.
"Dad planned to target that race at Gundagai to get him in the field and now he us there he should give it a good show.
"It's good to have Winona riding because she has had a few little injuries of late so she needs a bit of a change of luck.”
The stable also has Direct Strategy in the Wagga MTC Guineas as well as Flash Fibian and Can’t Find Snippy in the two-year-old Inglis Bonus race among a plethora of acceptors across the two days.