Scratching of Coonawarra Vignerons Cup favourite gives high hope of a local win

Dyagilev Dsc 343320191206cro  TBW Newsgroup
CHANCE FOR AN ENCORE: Adelaide jockey Shayne Cahill won the final race on Mount Gambier cup day aboard the Michael O'Leary trained Bossy Britches (pictured) and will be hoping for the same result at Penola this afternoon. Picture: JAMES MURPHY

Dyagilev Dsc 343320191206cro TBW Newsgroup
CHANCE FOR AN ENCORE: Adelaide jockey Shayne Cahill won the final race on Mount Gambier cup day aboard the Michael O’Leary trained Bossy Britches (pictured) and will be hoping for the same result at Penola this afternoon. Picture: JAMES MURPHY

THE scratching yesterday afternoon of main fancy – and top weight – Unrealistic has drastically altered the betting on today’s Coonawarra Vignerons Cup at Penola and given more hope of a local victory.

The Warrnambool galloper had previously won the Dunkeld and Penshurst cups late last year and was expected to be a major player
today.

Local trainer Richard Nicholson will saddle up Dyagilev, the likely leader in the field, winner of the Blue Lake handicap on Mount Gambier cup day last month before a third in the Nhill cup.

If Mista Holyfield could produce his very best form this afternoon, the Richard Wilson trained galloper comes right into winning contention.

The seven year old gelding won at Penola in early November but turned in a shocker of a run last start in the Koroit cup at Warrnambool when he failed to beat a runner home.

Sam Turner is the only trainer with a runner in the field today to have previously won a Coonawarra Vignerons cup and he is quite accustomed to taking the much sought after trophy (boxes of Coonawarra red wines) back to Bordertown.

Turner won four Coonawarra Vignerons cups, all in a short space of time, with Sandhill Prince claiming the hat trick in 2008, 2009 and 2010 followed by Fraaclase in 2012.

Today his hopes rely on Sandhill Star who won the Nhill cup back in 2015 followed by the Strathalbyn cup three weeks later before succumbing to injury which saw him off the scene for two years.

The now nine year old has only been on the comeback trail for just over a month which have resulted in two unplaced runs.

Surprisingly, neither Sue Jaensch or Sue Murphy, the leading trainers in the Limestone Coast for the past couple of years, have ever had reason to raise the cup.

Murphy has Athos, likely to be one of the outsiders in the field, running for her today following just the one run this preparation for a fourth at Naracoorte.

Jaensch will put the saddle on Disco Rebel and she would, no doubt, like a good downpour of rain to improve the mare’s chances.

Disco Rebel burst on the scene to win three races last winter, all on rain affected tracks at Casterton, Morphettville and Mount Gambier.

Four runs this campaign have resulted in unplaced efforts for Disco Rebel and it will not be a surprise if the mare ran an improved race today.

Horsham trainer Paul Preusker is yet to have a winner in the Limestone Coast this season and will be relying on the restricted mare Miss Coolangatta to change that situation this afternoon.

The mare gave notice of a pending win by running home strongly for fourth last start at Warrnambool over 2000 metres and is coming back in distance for today’s assignment.

Near perfect conditions should result in around 2000 racegoers and holiday makers heading to Penola this afternoon for a meeting which has stood the test of time since 1982 to be the biggest of the year at Penola.