I'VE BEEN TRYIN' GETS THE JOB DONE AT TAREE. HE IS NOW ON HIS WAY TO THE $3 MILLION BIG DANCE

By Graham Potter | Friday, October 16, 2026

The penultimate piece of the Big Dance puzzle fitted neatly into place at Taree where the Mathew Kelley trained $3.60 second favourite I’ve Been Tryin' saluted in the Taree Gold Cup and the $5 chance Sosino finished second, with these two runners surging well clear of the balance of the lineup as they secured their ‘eligibility’ status for the $3 million Big Dance showdown at Randwick on November 3.

The first race at Randwick tomorrow … the Big Dance Wildcard … will provide Big Dance hopefuls with a last opportunity for runners to earn eligibility status for the big race.

Kelley, whose stable is based in Canberra, was understandable proud of I’ve Been Tryin’ solid effort on the seven day back-up, which came on the back of an equally impressive win in his previous start over 1400m on his home track. He was also grateful for the role the now ten-time winner, who is an eight-year-old, has played in his training career.

“He owes me nothing. He owes the owners nothing,” said Kelley. “He is just such a good horse … and he has just found another leg later on in his racing life. I don’t know here it has come from, but he’s a marvel.”

“He has really been the backbone of my training career to be honest. If I didn’t have him early days, I probably wouldn’t have the foundation for the horses I have now, so I’m so grateful for him … and, yeah, it’s very exciting.

This was a first win in the Taree Gold Cup for jockey Alysha Collett, who clearly enjoyed the moment, particularly as I’ve Been Tryin’ gave her a race-to-race double after she had saluted on the Todd Howlett trained Zoucratic ($4.20) in the Krambach Cup one race earlier,