A winning tradition stretching back four decades between trainer Tom Mulholland and bookmaker Peter Carolan continues at Wagga tomorrow when King Rex tackles the $60,000 XXXX Gold Wagga Town Plate (1200m).

The partnership between the Dubbo-based duo began with a horse named Banksia Idol.

“We got him as a two-year-old in Sydney,” Mulholland recalled. “He was a cheap buy. We won four or five races with him.

“That’s how it all began. We’ve had a bit of luck over 40 years with other horses like Imacase and Bresway.

“King Rex is probably the best of them. He‘s a good horse, probably just two lengths short of real top class.”

King Rex has proven a bargain buy for Carolan, his wife Patsy and Gary and Polly Kimmorley.

The seven-year-old gelding has a record of 12 wins, 16 placing‘s and $470,000 prize money from 58 starts.

“They brought him for $3500,” Mulholland said. “He‘s been pretty good to all of us.”

Noted among the gelding‘s wins is the 2005 Ramornie Hcp at Grafton. And two starts back, King Rex finished fourth, less than two lengths from the winner Typhoon Zed in the Group One Galaxy (1100m) at Randwick on March 22.

In recent years King Rex has alternated between Carolan‘s friend, Rosehill trainer Stephen Hood and Mulholland.

“He virtually gets weighted out of races around the bush,” Mulholland said. “But he’s not badly weighted tomorrow with 58.5kg. The boy that’s riding him, Clint Lundholm, is a good, strong, intelligent rider. I just hope King Rex handles the barrier (12).”

Mulholland comes from the ‘old school,‘ doesn‘t give away much, especially when Carolan has been known to have a dabble on his horses with fellow bagmen.

“King Rex has done all right,” Mullholland said of the gelding’s progress since his stunning win in the Zoo City Sprint at Dubbo on April 18. “It was a darn good win under the big weight. He got held up, Clint (Lundholm) had to turn him at 45 degrees to get out. He was never going to win but he did.”

King Rex lumped 64.5kg at Dubbo and ran very quick time for the 1000m.

Veteran Leeton trainer Peter Clancy and owner David Boots, who runs an earthmoving business in Leeton, also boast an enduring 30-year-old relationship.

The pair combine with Town Plate Prelude winner Zarvista (Peter Robl). Clancy will also saddle up Albury City Hcp winner Stralara (Tim Clark) in race that will be beamed into 13 international countries including America and Argentina.

Interestingly Zarvista won its maiden on the first day of the Wagga Gold Cup carnival last year and a Class One on Town Plate day 2007.

“He had a few problems and was woeful early on. He’s come a long way in 12 months,” Clancy said. “This is the race we’ve set him for. e’s peaking at the right time. He won good the other day in smart time.”

By Tony White