The absence of Inferno has opened up the Clare Memorial Gold Cup for Alpine Heights at Omakau today.
The 6-year-old Spartacus gelding was second in Tuesday's Waikouaiti Cup, with Inferno capitalising on a sweet trip on Alpine Heights' back.
Alpine Heights had a 4.5kg weight advantage on Inferno and stuck
on gamely to finish less than a length off the talented galloper.
Inferno's scratching from today's $15,000 feature over 2000m also assists Alpine Heights, as he was the top weight by 5kg, with the rest of the field on 54kg. Alpine Heights, rated at 85, is now at equal weights with horses rated well below him, such as Deceptive, who is rated at 64.
There were steady showers throughout the day at Omakau yesterday, and Alpine Heights' co-trainers John and Karen Parsons will not want the track to be worse than dead as he is winless on a slow or worse track from eight attempts.
