Local hopes fuel interest in Whangarei Gold Cup

Greencast, ridden by Trudy Thornton, will be looking to back up its win at Ruakaka on July 9 with another win in the ITM Whangarei Gold Cup meeting.

The ITM Whangarei Gold Cup meeting tomorrow has attracted small but competitive races with a lot of local interest in the feature cup meeting.

The Donna Logan-Chris Gibbs racing partnership has the biggest number of starters from one stable and the main interest will focus on their five last start winners from the Northpine Waipu Cup meeting and whether they can repeat the performance.

The feature event of the ITM Whangarei Gold Cup of $30,000 over 2100m holds considerable interest for the president of the club, Shayne Heape - better known as Uncle Shayne - through his promotion of his ITM Whangarei store.

Heape will be wearing two hats tomorrow as he is also the main sponsor of the race meeting.

Attracting most of his attention will be the performance of Candle In The Wind that he part owns in the cup race his business sponsors.

The mare was an impressive winner at her last start over the same distance at Ruakaka on July 9, but had the advantage of a very patient ride by apprentice Sam Weatherley.

She will have to carry the full weight of 60kg but the top class rider of Michael Coleman will be aboard.

The race has other local interest with the Waipu trainer Clayton Stevenson starting Smedley, Rick Wells with Affogato and the other stable Logan/Gibbs runner of Zafrenzy who finished fast to be just beaten by Candle In The Wind last start.

Meanwhile, the ITM/GIB open handicap over 1400m sees the return of the Kenny and Lisa Rae runner Absolut Excelencia from its racing stint down on the South Island.

This included a last start win at Riccarton over 1600m.

Again the Logan/Gibbs stable will provide stiff competition with the Northpine Waipu Cup winner Rocknrolla and To Be Sure who over-raced last start.

Another runner of interest in the race will be the front-running Goldminer who will appreciate the short Ruakaka straight and the advantage given to runners with the rail out 4m.

Trained by the astute Shaune Ritchie, Goldminer will be in front for a long way down the straight.

Greencast - a strong last start Ruakaka winner races in The Adam Trimmer Insurance race over 1600m - will find the competition strong for a rating 65 class of racing.

The Kim O'Riley-trained Stoked Me was a very impressive Avondale winner back on June 8 and has been taken along quietly since then.

Apprentice Amber Sims, who won on the Duelled mare, is back on board and could be the value bet in the race.

Races start at Ruakaka Racecourse at midday.