The Wagga Cup carnival has been a happy hunting ground for trainer Graeme Rogerson who will again target the two-day festival this year.Barlagarney will spearhead Rogerson's four-strong team when he attempts to give the trans-Tasman trainer his third win in the feature Wagga Gold Cup (2000m).Rogerson won the Listed race in successive years with Call Me Lily in 2002 and Kreisler Mirage a year later while Penrickson was third to Macknuckle 12 months ago.Stable representative Roger Elliott confirme

The Wagga Cup carnival has been a happy hunting ground for trainer Graeme Rogerson who will again target the two-day festival this year.

Barlagarney will spearhead Rogerson's four-strong team when he attempts to give the trans-Tasman trainer his third win in the feature Wagga Gold Cup (2000m).

Rogerson won the Listed race in successive years with Call Me Lily in 2002 and Kreisler Mirage a year later while Penrickson was third to Macknuckle 12 months ago.

Stable representative Roger Elliott confirmed Barlagarney would fly the flag for the stable in the $130,000 Cup this year with Peter Wells to take the ride.

"It's a good carnival at Wagga and the stable has had a bit of success there," Elliott said.

"Barlagarney has been working well and everything is good with him.

"He's just looking to get over a bit of ground."

The six-year-old will be shooting for his third country Cup title having taken out the Wellington (1700m) and Port Macquarie Cups (2000m) last year.

He was also runner-up to Spinney in the Listed Gosford Cup in November.

He has 53kg in the Wagga showpiece with Triple Honour the 61.5kg top weight, although trainer Chris Waller has confirmed the last start Queen Elizabeth Stakes runner-up will not be running.

Waller could still be represented by The Embassy and Bellagio Wynn but delayed a final decision until Tuesday.

"I want to wait until the final field is out before making any decisions about the other two," Waller said.

Also headed to Wagga are Barlagarney's stablemates King Sabeel and Getaway Plan who will clash in Friday's Jason Wagga 3YO Guineas (1600m), and Fitness Fanatic who will line up in the Wagga Wagga Marketplace Benchmark 70 Hcp (1200m).

King Sabeel is by Rogerson's Cox Plate winner Savabeel and drops back in distance after over-racing when he finished down the track in the Group Three Frank Packer Plate (2000m) won by Dariana.

"We've freshened King Sabeel up. He went a bit hard the other day so we've brought him back to the mile," Elliott said.

"Getaway Plan won well first-up at Hawkesbury and he's done well also."

The carnival kicks off on Thursday with the running of the Town Plate (1200m), although Group One winner Black Piranha is an early casualty after being given 66.5kg.

His absence will leave his Con Karakatsanis-trained barn mate News Alert at the top of weights with 61kg.

"News Alert can start but Black Piranha can stay at home and have a barrier trial," Karakatsanis said.

"Those weights are a joke and now you can see why city trainers are reluctant to take good horses to country carnivals.

"It's a great pity because the good country carnivals suffer."