Racing: Marton run tests water for Trentham

Donna Logan

Wellington Cup plans hinge on today's $60,000 Marton Cup for Northland galloper Northern Beau.

The Beau Zam 7-year-old gelding was freshened after finishing second in the New Zealand Cup in November but in two starts since has finished well back.

Co-trainer Donna Logan, from Ruakaka, said if Northern Beau did not make an improved showing in the 2200m race at Awapuni, he would have to be a doubtful runner in the $250,000 Wellington Cup (3200m).

Logan, who trains in partnership with husband Dean, said she had confidence Northern Beau would perform better and had planned for the horse to remain at Otaki where he is boarding at the Karen Zimmerman stable.

"We have planned for him to stay down but if he went an absolute shocker you would have to start wondering seriously about a Wellington Cup run," Logan told NZPA.

Northern Beau was given a break after beating all but Trebla in the New Zealand Cup (3200m) at Riccarton on November 12 and Logan said the horse might have done too well.

"He might have got away on us more than we anticipated," she said.

At his first run back, Northern Beau finished last at Te Rapa on December 17 and last time out was 15th of 18 runners in the $200,000 City of Auckland Cup (2400m) at Ellerslie on January 1.

In the latter he was caught wide early but got across to second in the running before weakening.

Logan was hopeful it was just a lack of fitness that counted against him at Ellerslie.

Northern Beau is being kept relatively safe by TAB bookmakers in their market for the Wellington Cup. He was last night at $12.

Many of the Marton Cup runners are en route to the Wellington Cup but not Sing In The Sun.

Sing In The Sun is showing plenty of promise. The 6-year-old mare, who did not begin racing until she was four, has won five of 19 starts.

Last start she won over 2100m at Ellerslie on December 29 at just her third run over a middle distance and scored easily by three lengths. Second on that occasion was Viz Vitae who is again a rival and a leading chance.

Sing In The Sun was last night the third favourite for the Marton Cup at $6.50 on the TAB's fixed-odds market.

Viz Vitae was a $5 second favourite and the $3.75 favourite was Lilakyn, who is attempting to make amends for her failure in the Manawatu Cup (2300m) at Awapuni on December 17 when finishing last.

Hawkes Bay trainer Guy Lowry labelled Lilakyn's last start as "by far" the worst run of her career.

Lowry said he could only put the poor run down to wet track conditions and had his fingers crossed she would race up to the form that saw her win her previous two starts, including the $45,000 Wanganui Cup (2400m) on November 26.

- NZPA