He was bought for a song as a yearling, he was big and gangly and no one wanted him until he won his first race.

Now, after only eight starts, Any Humour is on his way to developing into a top class stayer and is second favourite for tomorrow’s (Friday) Listed $120,000 Sheps Earthmoving Repairs Wagga Gold Cup (2000m) behind the Bart Cummings trained God’s Hand.

Trainer Tim Martin then plans to take Any Humour to Brisbane with the Brisbane cup his ultimate mission.

Any Humour only cost trainer Martin $20,000 as a yearling and he has already recouped that purchase price four fold.

However the trainer believes the best is yet ahead for the son of Danewin.
Martin had no success syndicating Any Humour until he won his maiden at Wyong as a late three year old.

Martin was then able to convince a friend, Michael Cook, to buy the horse and it has already turned out to be a profitable decision.

Any Humour has since won two city races, one each at Rosehill and Canterbury.

He disappointed at his last start when 11th behind Nuclear Sky in the Neville Sellwood Stakes (2000m) on a heavy track at Rosehill after starting second favourite.

However Corey Brown told stewards the horse has not handled the conditions.

Tomorrow he will find a track much more to his liking with a dead four rating at this stage and fine weather.

Brown, who has ridden Any Humour at his last two starts, has a big opinion of the horse and has retained the cup ride.

Martin always believed that Any Humour had the ability and breeding to develop into a good stayer.

“He was big and gangly and nothing to look at,” Martin said. 

“I tried to sell the horse to clients after I bought him but no one was interested so I decided to keep him myself and press on.

“This is an above average horse.He took a long time to grow into himself, as staying bred horses often do, but he has matured now and is going to win some good races.”

Grand old campaigner and Wagga cup top weight Grand Zulu also failed to handle the conditions of the Neville Sellwood when last in that race.

Prior to that he was beaten less than three lengths on a good track in the Kembla Grange cup, at only his second run back from a spell.

Grand Zulu, to be ridden by Hugh Bowman, is one of two runners for trainer Gwenda Markwell.

She will also start Australia Day cup winner El Meroo (Larry Cassidy) which is on the third line of betting in early markets.

Warwick Farm trainer Tony Edmonds took a punt that his mare Limani, the first emergency for the cup, would get a run and scratched her from the Japan cup at Randwick yesterday and from Wyong today.

It was the right move.

Oxigenada has been scratched and Limani will start with Glyn Schofield in the saddle.

This is Edmonds’ first time at the Wagga carnival and he will start five horses, three today and two tomorrow.

By Grahame Timbrell