Racing: All eyes on Tai Tokerau Cup

Two horses from the stable of local trainers Chris Gibbs (pictured) and Michelle Bradley will feature in tomorrow's inaugural Whangārei Racing's Tai Tokerau Cup race. Photo / File

The feature race on tomorrow's Ruakākā card will be the inaugural Whangarei Racing's Tai Tokerau Cup 2019.

This meeting was traditionally a date raced by the Dargaville Racing Club with a perpetual Northland Cup presented, but retained by the club. With the Dargaville Club opting not to race at Ruakaka, the meeting licence was transferred to be a Whangarei Racing Club meeting.

The race is over 2100 metres for $20,000 for rating 82 horses and has attracted a small field of six with two from the local Chris Gibbs and Michelle Bradley's stable — Richie McHorse and Transformer — the logical favourites.

With nine runners entered for the meeting, the Ruakākā track based stable of Gibbs-Bradley could have several reasons to celebrate the end of the year.

Jimmy James was an impressive winner first up and must be hard to beat in the "Ruakākā Christmas at the Races-Tues 17 Dec" rating 65 over 1400 metres.

In the Adams Trimmer Insurance maiden over 1400 metres, their three-year-old filly Kareeraway will appreciate the step up in distance and at her third life-time start is expected to start favourite.

Krystal Williams-Tuhoro from Rae Racing stables will saddle up five runners while her father Kenny Rae is managing the rest of the team at Christchurch this week.

The half-brother to Prom Queen, Our Prom King, is likely to be their best chance in the rating 65 "Interislander Summer Festival Ruakākā Races – Sat 4 Jan" over 1200 metres.

A number of visiting trainers have teams of four or five horses in Richard Collett, Davina Waddell, Ralph Manning and Stephen McKee.

Ralph Manning has not been as regular a visitor this year but has two runners in the "Fireco" maiden race of 2100 metres in Reflection and Touch The Clouds.

Both have been very consistent in running a number of placings and look to be among the main chances again.