Cadazio (NZ) ridden by Nathan Punch wins the Moama Bowling Club Gunbower Gold Cup at Gunbower Racecourse. (Jay Town/Racing Photos)
The journey towards next month’s $500,000 Victoria Country Cups Series Final (2000m) at Caulfield rolls on this weekend with feature cups at St Arnaud on Saturday, 26 October and Sale on Sunday, 27 October.
The $30,000 Weir’s IGA + Liquor St Arnaud Cup (2000m) will be exciting to watch, with three horses who already have a Country Cups victory this month under their belt in action.
Any Luck (Wayne Walters) is in fine form having won the Blue Pyrenees Estate Avoca Cup (1860m) last weekend and entering the leaderboard for the first time at equal 29th place. The five-year-old mare will be looking for a unique double to move into the top 16 as the 16 November final draws nearer.
Cadazio (Gwenda Johnstone) is also in equal 29th place courtesy of a win in the Moama Bowling Club Gunbower Gold Cup (1800m) on 5 October. The five-year-old gelding will have to improve though on his last start in the Nutrien Ag Manangatang Cup (2000m) when unplaced as second favourite.
You Betcha Woo (Jarrod Robinson) is well placed to run 2000m after taking top honours over the same distance in the Manangatang Cup. This victory also saw him move into equal 29th place on the leaderboard, and a win at St Arnaud could see the six-year-old gelding bound for Caulfield next month.
Ciaron Maher has accepted with Commander Harry who has finished seventh in the bet365 Hamilton Cup (2200m) and fourth in the Millers Horsham Cup (2100m) at his last two starts and looks set to figure in the finish.
The $200,000 Ladbrokes Sale Cup (1600m) looks to be an intriguing event with a field of previous Country Cups winners and placegetters, as well as representatives from well-known trainers in Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott; Ben, Will and JD Hayes; and Peter Moody and Katherine Coleman.
Patrick and Michelle Payne’s Jimmy The Bear is one of two contenders on Sunday who already feature prominently on the Country Cups Leaderboard, with a win at bet365 Mildura Cup (1400m), placing him equal 18th, just two shy of a spot in the final field of 16.
Locally trained Starspangled Baby (Andrew Perdon) is currently in the field for next month’s final in ninth place after a victory in the Patties Foods Bairnsdale Cup (1600m) and a second placing in the bet365 Traralgon Cup (1900m). The seven-year-old mare will be looking to improve on her unplaced result in the inaugural Victorian Country Cups Series Final in 2023.
Another runner in last year’s final, Grand Pierro (Jason Warren), is still seeking his first win in this year’s Victorian Country Cups Series. After last week’s late scratching from the Moe Cup due to a track downgrade, the five-year-old gelding will likely get a drier surface on Sunday to showcase his best.
Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott’s Coin Toss will be looking to register his first win in a Country Cup, as will Ben, Will and JD Hayes’ Makram and Peter Moody and Katherine Coleman’s Pounding, with the Phillip Stokes-trained Arran Bay amongst the hardest to beat.
The Victorian Country Cups Final at Caulfield on Schweppes Thousand Day will be a Benchmark 100 Handicap featuring a field of 16 starters (plus four emergencies) with a minimum topweight of 62kg at the declaration of weights.
The winners of each country cup collect five points in the series, with two points awarded to the runner-up and third place receiving one point. In the event of a dead-heat, the points are not shared with each horse receiving the full quota for first, second or third.
To view the current Victorian Country Cups Series leaderboard, please click here.
Following the St Arnaud and Sale Cups, the next qualifying races will be the Apiam Bendigo Cup (Wednesday, 30 October), the Elders Mt. Wycheproof Cup (Saturday, 2 November) and the bet365 Mortlake Cup (Saturday, 2 November).