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Premier trainer Chris Waller is launching an all-out bid to land his second Panthers Hawkesbury Gold Cup on Saturday.
Waller has seven of the 16 acceptors in the capacity field – three emergencies have also been declared – for the $150,000 Group 3 feature over 1600m.
His runners are Flamingo Star (Jason Collett), Strawberry Boy (Jim Cassidy), Bagman (Josh Parr), Multilateral (Kathy O’Hara), Rugged Cross (Brenton Avdulla), Vilanova and Danchai.Waller teamed with Collett to win the 2013 Hawkesbury Cup with New Zealand-owned Coup Ay Tee when it was run for the first time in August as the main race on a midweek program.
The Cup was switched to the stand-alone program last year, replacing the Rowley Mile which has slotted in to the August date.Waller’s support of Saturday’s $1 million 10th anniversary fixture is outstanding.
He has 18 acceptors with runners in all but two of the eight races.He also has four runners in the $150,000 Group 3 Darley Crown (1300m) – Mamwazeel (Collett), Calming Influence (Parr), Belle De Coeur and All Cerise.
In spite of the Waller influence, Hawkesbury trainers aren’t ready to concede any of Saturday’s races to the city stables.They have acceptors in all eight events as follows:
RACE 1 (PFD Food Services Benchmark 85, 1300m): Amarachi and Fidel Astro (Tony McEvoy);RACE 2 (Evergreen Turf Claret 2YO Stakes, 1300m): Niccoco and Duperie Saga (Tony McEvoy); Kev’s Babe (Garry Frazer);
RACE 3 (Richmond Club Provincial Stayers Final, 2100m): Martian (Tony McEvoy), Sons Of John (Jason Attard); Carry On Singing (Ethne Potowski);RACE 4 (XXXX Gold Hawkesbury Rush, 1100m): Hurrara (Garry Frazer);
RACE 5 (Darley Crown, 1300m): Solicit (Gerald Ryan); Villa Splendido (Garry White);RACE 6 (Panthers Hawkesbury Gold Cup, 1600m): Evangelist (Tony McEvoy);
RACE 7 (Blacktown Workers Hawkesbury Guineas, 1400m): Martine (Tony McEvoy);RACE 8 (Blakes Marine Benchmark 80, 1500m): Time To Test (Tony McEvoy) and Campania (Garry Frazer).
Hurrara, ridden by Melbourne’s Linda Meech, won last year’s XXXX Gold Rush. Hawkesbury apprentice Claire Nutman has the mount this time.The track on Wednesday was given a Soft 7 rating with the rail in the true position.
