A capacity field will take part in Sunday’s Listed Ballarat Cup. With six of the runners having won country cups in the past few months, we’ll see a competitive race with plenty of chances. Sydney-sider The Offer, is the early favourite at $3.00 in advance of Garud, Cornell and Pelicano – who ran second in this race last year. These horses are the only runners in the race under single figures.
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1. HURDY GURDY MAN – B Rawiller (20) 60kgs
Brad Rawiller piloted this 6yo by Street Cry to victory in the Hamilton Cup (2200m) two starts back where he started the 7/4 favourite. From near last, the Darren Weir trained galloper finished too well under 59kgs and recorded a half length win. That victory saw him installed the 13/4 favourite for the Kyneton Cup (2000m) twelve days later. Again he finished well but not quite well enough and ran fifth, 2.2 lengths behind Constant Force. The return to 2200m will suit but faces a very big task from the widest gate.
2. PELICANO – B Melham (13) 60kgs
Returned home to Adelaide after two fair performances at Group level in Sydney and appreciate the drop in class, finishing hard from near last to claim the Listed Murray Bridge Cup (1600m) two starts back. He then travelled to Victoria and only held his ground in the run home behind Salon Solider when sixth (3.6 lengths) in the Listed Visit Victoria (1800m). Has a big weight and awkward draw to contend with but comes from an astute yard and previous efforts suggest he is more than capable of winning here.
3. WHISPER DOWN – N Hall (19) 59kgs
After a poor performance in the Benalla Cup as the 7/2 favourite, the 5yo trained by David Hayes was given three weeks off before producing a much better effort behind Hvaastan at Moonee Valley. He then drew wide but closed well from the tail of the field to run third (1.1 lengths) behind Constant Force in the Kyneton Cup (2000m) last start. Outside of the Benalla run, his performances have been rock solid this time in but unfortunately, he has drawn horribly here in gate 19 but with an any kind of luck in the run, will give a good sight at a great price.
4. ROTHERA – S Baster (16) 58kgs
Finished well and without luck behind Hvaastan at Moonee Valley two starts ago when eighth (1 ¾ lengths) before running a clear last in the G3 Queen Eizabeth Stakes a fortnight ago. Has a lot to turn around on that effort and without the aid of a rain effected track, which the Brian Smith trained 8yo relishes, can’t see him being to make the required improvement.
5. CONSTANT FORCE – D Yendall (9) 56kgs
It was almost a year to the day since his last victory but for connections of the 7yo, it was worth the wait. At his third run back from a spell, the Jeune gelding lunged on the line to record a narrow victory in the Kyneton Cup (2000m) just over a fortnight ago. Carried 54kgs in that win and again has a winnable weight allocated to him. Combined with the fact that he is fourth up and peaking in regards to fitness, he’s a live chance of making it back-to-back victories in cup races.
6. YOU THINK SO – V Duric (14) 56kgs
A fantastic training effort by Mick Kent to produce this 6yo first up off an eight months spell, over the 2000m of the Kyneton Cup and have him run fourth (2.1 lengths) behind Constant Force. He came from a long way back and can only be better for having had the hit-out. He also meets those who ran in that race, no worse or better at the weights. Will be giving them a start again but would not have to have come on much from his last start, to be involved in the finish here.
7. UNCHAIN MY HEART – C Newitt (12) 55kgs
Dour stayer who has had two starts back from a nineteen week spell. The 7yo mare by Al Maher, as expected, was well accounted for first up over a mile in the G3 Snowhite Classic before closing steadily in the G2 Energy Stakes (2000m) to finish midfield (3.7 lengths) behind Girls Gone Rockin’. The step up in distance will be a plus but would prefer her in something longer again and a slightly less grade of race before including her in selections.
8. CORNELL – D Moor (6) 54.5kgs
After claiming the Horsham Cup (1800m), the 5yo Elusive Quality gelding went within a whisker of making it back-to-back cups when nosed out on the line by Constant Force in the Kyneton Cup last start. He drew well, had a nice run in transit and stuck on determinedly. Again he is drawn to get a nice run and only has to carry half a kilo, two factors not afforded to some of his more fancied rivals. On current form, has to rated one of the better chance in the race.
9. GARUD – G Boss (17) 54.5kgs
It has been 12 months and ten starts since this High Chaparral gelding last won a race however, as he has shown by some of his efforts this spring, he certainly has the ability to claim a good race such as this. He finished third behind the in-form pair of Spurtonic and Bass Strait in the G3 David Jones Cup (2000m) three starts back before finding the class of the G3 Lexus and G3 Queen Elizabeth Stakes a touch too strong for him over the VRC Carnival, finishing fifth and sixth respectively. Better suited back to this race and has the services of Boss whose first job will be to negotiate the wide barrier.
10. DURNFORD – (8) 54kgs
He finished at the tail of the field in both the G3 Naturalism Stakes (2000m) and G3 David Jones Cup (2000m) before a drop in the grade to the Listed Visit Victoria Stakes (1800m), saw a slight improvement. He held his ground in the run home finishing fifth and 3.1 lengths behind Salon Solider but will still have to improve too much to that and previous runs, to be the winner here.
11. FLASHY FELLA – D Lane (4) 54kgs
After three poor performances since resuming from a seven month spell, the 5yo by Thorn Park was taken to Ararat, where as a 9/1 chance, he lined up in the Ararat Cup. A lovely run from the inside draw gave the Mike Moroney trained runner every chance and he was able to record a length win over Quick Shakes. Drawn well again and will have derived some much needed confidence from last start but will still need to be improving.
12. ISOPACH – N McLean (18) 54kgs
We have to go back to October 2011 – twenty-two starts ago now, to find this 5yo’s last win. That was in the Listed Uci Stakes (1800m) and Flemington and was only the second of his career. As the 2/1 favourite he had every chance last start in the Ararat Cup but found Flashy Fella and Quick Shakes a shade too strong, finishing third (1.4 lengths) Will find this race no easier and especially from gate 18.
13. QUICK SHAKES – D Dunn (1) 54kgs
Led last start in the Ararat Cup (2000m), his fourth run back from a spell, and held on well to run second (beaten 1 length) in the field of seven behind Flashy Fella. Drawn to take up a similar role here but in a field of much greater depth, he’ll have his work cut out for him over the final stages.
14. HORNETS’ NEST – H McKenzie (3) 54kgs.
Winner of the St. Arnaud Cup three starts back and off that effort, was rated one of the better chance when he next stepped out in the China Bowl at Ararat but disappointed to run sixth of eight, finishing over five lengths from winner Evie Rose. The 6yo’s next and most recent start was in last week’s Dunkeld Cup (1800m) where under 59.5kgs, he ran a head second to Gatalastic. Drops significantly in weight but that will not be enough of an advantage for him in this race.
15. THE OFFER – D Oliver (11) 54kgs
Flashed home first up in a BM 80 (1600m) to run third behind Index Linked and Leebaz before again finishing powerfully, running second by half a length again to Index Linked. He was allocated 59.5kgs and 57kgs in the above races and unlike most in this race, experiences a nice drop in weight. Combined with the step up to 2200m, a distance range the former import competed in before coming to Australia, there is a good sense of timing about this galloper for this race.
16. SUPREMACY – J Noonan (5) 54kgs
Ran a distant last in the Listed Bart Cummings (2500m) two starts back before a month’s break and returning with an improved effort, third (3.1 lengths) to Bel Thor and Keep Cool in a RST 96 race (2000m) two weeks ago. Sat on the speed last start and from a favourable draw, would expect him to go forward again but his previous attempts in open company have always seen him well accounted for.
17. BIA DIAMOND – M Payne (2) 54kgs
A good third behind Stella Lante and an even better second to Queenstown (3rd in last Saturday’s Zipping Classic), saw this 5yo mare trained by Darren Weir start an 11/4 chance in her last start at Ballarat in BM 78. A slow rated track thwarted her chances and she finished fourth (beaten 5 ¼ lengths). Taking her on the Queenstown effort, should she get a better surface and along with her light weight and good draw, she could represent a decent chance and big double figure odds.
18. ANGOLA – (10) 54kgs
Lightly raced 5yo who, at her third run back from a spell, finished soundly from the tail of the field to run fourth in the Bendigo Cup, 3 ¾ lengths behind Sertorius who in turn, has been outstanding in two runs since. That run suggested the Pat Carey may be ready to produce a better effort again at his next start unfortunately though, he finished second to last and near a dozen lengths from the winner Precedence, when contesting the G3 Queen Elizabeth Stakes. The Bendigo run was good enough to consider him a chance her for mine but last start’s performance, for which there were no apparent excuses, casts a shadow to big to ignore.
19. USE THE LOT – I Gundogdu (7) 54kgs (1st EM)
First emergency who won a RST 78 (2200m) last start at Moonee Valley as the 7/4 favorite when leading all the way. It was by a comfortable margin of 1 ¾ lengths however, second in the race was Anudjawun who has won one form thirty-nine starts. Aiming too high here.
20. HANNAFORD – (15) 54kgs (2nd EM)
This Robbie Laing trained gelding has burned punters at his last two starts. Starting 2/1 favourite in a RST 78 (2040m) at Moonee Valley he finished third, beaten a long neck, and followed that up with another close up third again, as 7/4 favourite in a BM 78 (2000m) at Ballarat. Needed to be winning those kind of races by a space to be considered a chance of winning here.
RACE OVERVIEW
An extremely tough race to assess given a lot of the class runners have drawn poorly and with big weights; they will more than likely be in the second half of the field upon settling. With the big field, there’ll be plenty of traffic that they need to avoid from the 800m to home. It is interesting to note that Nick Hall, who has been aboard McEvoy’s previous cup winners in Sysmo and Mouro, is aboard Whisper Downs here. Whisper Down has been racing well this campaign and his last start, which was also from a wide gate and under a big weight, reads well for here. The Offer’s two starts have caught the eye and Oliver/Waterhouse combination works well (they have Vitello in the WA Guineas on Saturday). As mentioned above, the timing appears ideal for this horse but in a big field, the $3.00 price is short enough. You Think So’s first up run was excellent. With natural improvement and despite his horrible draw, would not be inclined to leave him at $13.00.
- WHISPER DOWNS
- THE OFFER
- CORNELL
- YOU THINK SO
