Racing: Angel building toward Winter Cup

Mark Oulaghan has trained two winners of the Winter Cup in the past eight years and could have another victory in the pipeline.

Oulaghan saddled Amore Mia to win the Canterbury Racing Club's winter flat feature in 1996 and repeated the dose with Jolly Rodger four years later. In between times, he saddled Top O'The Straight to finish second in 2000.

This year, Oulaghan's hopes may rest with two horses - Boycott and lower class graduate Misguided Angel, who will have her first test in open company at the Manawatu meeting at Awapuni today.

Misguided Angel is no stranger to Riccarton and left a lasting impression on Christchurch racegoers at the same meeting last year when winning the National Apprentices' Championship by five lengths in the hands of Jason Laking.

She recorded another easy win when the College Chapel mare resumed at Wanganui on Queens' Birthday weekend, scoring by 6 1/2 lengths in her first outing for seven months.

It was a victory that surprised Oulaghan.

"I know she does come to hand well fresh, and had been working pretty well, but that Wanganui field didn't look a bad one on paper, yet she still dealt to them impressively," Oulaghan said.

The Awapuni trainer is only taking in today's Cloverlea Tavern Handicap (1600m) for Misguided Angel because it's timely and at the back door.

"I put her in the nominations to see what the field would be like, and decided to pay up when entries were small," he said.

"Hopefully, we'll get a line on her prospects for Riccarton, but she does have a little bit more class than some."

Misguided Angel will race at the Wellington winter meeting before heading south at the end of July.

"She is more likely to revert to a premier quality 1500m on the first day at Trentham, but we'll probably nominate her for the Whyte Handicap (1600m) on the last day as well," said Oulaghan, who part-owns the horse.

Misguided Angel was ridden at Wanganui by Foxton apprentice Ronald Stam, whose 1.75kg claim resulted in the six-year-old going round with just 50.25kg.

No claim is available for today's race, but Oulaghan is keen to stick with a winning jockey at this stage.

"He rode her just as I wanted at Wanganui, and seems to suit her, so there's no reason to change, despite no allowances," he said.

Misguided Angel, however, has a long way to go to match the deeds of Saturday's topweight Reg.

The Lowell gelding is fresh from his game third to Irish Rover in the weight-for-age Wanganui Stakes on Queen's Birthday weekend.

After a few disappointing runs in this campaign, Trentham trainer Les James put blinkers on the five-year-old at Wanganui, with a much more pleasing result.

He looks the horse to beat as he seeks his ninth career win and third at Awapuni.

- NZPA