VISITORS HAVE MORTGAGE ON CUP
VICTORIAN trained gallopers appear to have a mortgage on today’s $50,000 Scott Group of Companies Mount Gambier Gold Cup, making up 10 of the 13 runners.
The early scratching of the likely favourite Barry The Baptist has further thrown the race wide open to make it one of the most open cup fields for some time.
Loyal local punters cannot pin their hope on a Mount Gambier trained galloper to claim the cup as, for what is believed to be the first time ever, there are no locally trained horses in our feature race.
The lack of stayers in the Limestone Coast, which has been the case for a while now, is evident by the fact there is only one South East trained galloper in the 13 horse field, the Ray Gilcrist (Millicent) trained High Rolla.
With the track rain affected, punters will be scouring the form guide to find those runners with webbed feet and with the ability to run a strong 2400 metres.
Yesterday afternoon the Glenburnie track was rated a Soft 7 by track manager Lukas Byfieldt with more rain expected.
“I am very impressed with the way the drainage has handled the rain so far, and more heavy rain will give us a good guide to how good the new track is,” Byfieldt said.
Many in the cup field are jumpers warming up for the winter jumps season, including the Simon Ryan (Warrnambool) trained Super Haze.
The seven year old is a winner on the flat up to 2600 metres, he loves wet going and this will be his fourth run this preparation.
Another jumper who is also handy on the flat is Dormello Mo, a surprise first-up winner on the flat over 3100 metres at Warrnambool in late March, whose only other start this campaign was a last-start second in the Brierly steeplechase at Warrnambool last week.
Back in 2017, Dormello Mo won the 3400 metre steeplechase here on cup day.
Olympic Academy from the Grant Young stable at Murray Bridge ran second in the Oakbank cup on Easter Saturday before a last start win over 2000 metres at Morphettville when a 40/1 chance.
Murray Bridge trainer Michael Hickmott will hope to win two cups in five days after winning the Alice Springs Cup last Monday with Lieder.
Today he saddles up Azurite, a last-start Oakbank winner over 3600 metres, but the gelding has never won on a soft or heavy track.
Does the Millicent performer High Rolla have any chance?
The plus is he does race well on wet tracks and has won up to 2200 metres, albeit in restricted grade and he may be worth $1 each way for what will be his third run from a four month spell.
Sale trainer Wayne Walters is returning to Mount Gambier today and his representative The Armani is lining up for his 100th start.
The eight year old is a winner of eight races on wet going and his best recent offerings have been placings at Stony Creek, Sale and Werribee in restricted company.
Walters is the last Mount Gambier trainer to win the cup, back in 2014 with Luckzat when he was based here.
At odds, some hope is given to the Aaron Purcell (Warrnambool) trained Etna, a winner over 2400 metres, twice a winner in wet conditions and a last-start sixth over 2350 metres in BM 78 grade at Warrnambool last week.
From Bendigo is the Josh Julius trained Zaide, the baby of the field at four years of age, also a winner at the distance, a winner on heavy going and a last-start second at Geelong.
RESPECT THE WARRNAMBOOL FORM
LOCAL gallopers which performed well during the Warrnambool carnival last week should be worth following today.
None moreso than Elusive Rose in the 2057 metre BM 64 handicap, third in a three-way photo eight days ago on the final day of the carnival.
Elusive Rose was ridden a treat by Declan Bates – who retains the ride – and the Peter Hardacre trained filly looks well suited from barrier seven.
In the final event, in-form apprentice Raquel Clark has the ride on Royal Boss, a very good second on the first day of the Warrnambool carnival in a BM 64 race when resuming from a three month spell.
This will be the Michael O’Leary trained gelding’s first run on his home terrain with all four previous starts in Victoria.
He is unbeaten second up and will take a power of tossing in the big field.
Main danger looks to be Kodakhan from the Paul Preusker stable at Horsham, a winner two starts back at Hamilton in BM 58 company before a handy sixth at Warrnambool last week.
THE WETTER THE BETTER
WHEN the Volcano handicap, the premier sprint race of the year in the Limestone Coast, was last run back on December 4, 2017, victory went to the O’Leary trained Save Me Ned in very easy fashion.
It was on a wet track on that occasion and the five-year-old mare only improves as the tracks get heavier.
Save Me Ned resumed from a six month spell with a narrow win over 1200 metres here last month and that was on a good surface.
Twice a winner in the past second up, Save Me Ned has the services of senior Melbourne jockey Dean Holland who has a full book of rides on the flat today.
It could be a local quinella with Soul Fire from the Jenny Gow-Whyte stable ready to improve on his first up fifth at Warrnambool last week.
Soul Fire has raced three times on heavy tracks for two wins and is well weighted with only 51 kilograms after the claim for apprentice Sophie Logan.
Chasing a hat trick of wins on Limestone Coast tracks is the Warrnambool visitor Favonski, having scored twice at Penola in the past six weeks.
In a late development, both jumping races will still be run on the main course, but all the fences will be erected up against the outside rail in order to preserve the inside section of the track for the seven flat races.
SELECTIONS:
Race 1. steeplechase: Unabashed 1; Mannertone 2; Zatalagio 3.
Race 2, hurdle: The Other Half 1; Tangara 2; Casirahi 3.
Race 3, maiden: Highly Skilled 1; Ready Deal 2; Lucky Rose 3.
Race 4, maiden: Ultimate Reality 1; Farewell Greta 2; Grassmere Miss 3.
Race 5, Volcano hcp: Save Me Ned 1; Soul Fire 2; Favonski 3.
Race 6, BM 64: Elusive Rose 1; Raincutter 2; Sierra Moon 3.
Race 7, Blue Lake hcp: Mihany 1; Pickelhaube 2; Dyagilev 3.
Race 8, Mt. Gambier cup: Super Haze 1; Dormello Mo 2; Olympic Academy 3.
Race 9, BM 60: Royal Boss 1; Kodakhan 2; Raheeba 3.
Best bets: Save Me Ned (win, race 5); Elusive Rose (win, race 6)
Best outsiders: Etna (race 8), Dyadamo (race 9)
