Bannerton ridden by Harry Coffey wins the Mildura Motor Holdings Silverado Handicap at Mildura Racecourse on May 26, 2024.
With only five Country Cups remaining in the lead up to the $500,000 Victorian Country Cups Series Final (2000m) at Caulfield in a fortnight, Mt. Wycheproof and Mortlake will take centre stage for their feature races tomorrow (Saturday, 2 November).
The $30,000 Elders Mt. Wycheproof Cup (1800m) is back up and running again after being abandoned in 2022 due to weather and called off just prior to the Cup last year.
The feature race has attracted a field of six, including three horses who will be looking to improve on their previous Country Cups placings.
Swan Hill trainer Austy Coffey, who won back-to-back Wycheproof Cups in 2016-17, is saddling up a third of the field with two horses who will be seeking their first Country Cup win of the season.
Bannerton was runner-up in the DMD Nhill Cup (1650m) on Boxing Day last year and the Pacific Fuel Solutions Burrumbeet Cup (1800m) on New Year’s Day this year, earning the gelding 38th position on the leaderboard with four points.
Stablemate Jefferson is looking to improve second up from a lengthy spell and go one better than his second in the bet365 Hanging Rock Cup (1800m) on Australia Day. The two points collected from that minor placing has the gelding sitting at equal 70th place on the leaderboard.
Kiss the Bride (Andrew Dale), a one-time Rosehill Gold Cup placegetter behind Think It Over, will be out to improve on his second in the Moama Bowling Club Gunbower Gold Cup (1800m) at the start of October. The nine-year-old gelding is sitting in equal 66th place on the Country Cups leaderboard, however a win, and the accompanying five points, could have him bound for the city once again.
The $30,000 bet365 Mortlake Cup (2000m) will also have a field of previous Country Cups placegetters vying for their first feature race victory of the season.
Ciaron Maher-trained Commander Harry will be backing up from his second placed finish last week in the Weir’s IGA + Liquor St Arnaud Cup (2000m) and seeking to continue his improving form in the Victorian Country Cups Series. He sits at equal 70th place on the leaderboard currently.
Coraggio (Bob and Kane Post) is another horse looking to better his last start performance, after finishing second in the Nutrien Ag Manangatang Cup (2000m) last month. The nine-year-old gelding is also sitting at equal 70th on the leaderboard.
Queen Takes King will be one to watch debuting for Warrnambool trainer and former jumps jockey Shane Jackson in the Mortlake Cup. The flashy grey mare wasn’t beaten far in the $100,000 Pinker Pinker Plate (2000m) at Cranbourne at her final start for the Ciaron Maher stable.
The Victorian Country Cups Final at Caulfield on Schweppes Thousand Day, Saturday, 16 November, 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 Mt. Wycheproof and Mortlake Cups, the next qualifying races will be the bet365 Kyneton Cup (Wednesday, 6 November), the Community Bank Ballan & District Ballan Cup (Saturday, 9 November), and the last race before the Series Final, the bet365 Ararat Gold Cup (Sunday, 10 November).