WINNER'S POST IN SIGHT: Millview Sarah coming home to win the 2013 Schnapps Bar National Park Wanganui Cup at the racecourse. PHOTO/FILE A-151213WCBRCRACE05
WINNER'S POST IN SIGHT: Millview Sarah coming home to win the 2013 Schnapps Bar National Park Wanganui Cup at the racecourse. PHOTO/FILE A-151213WCBRCRACE05
It could be time for a new force to rise in the running of the $8000 Schnapps Bar National Park Wanganui Cup on the grass at the racecourse tomorrow.
The 15-horse field for the feature race of the Wanganui Trotting Club's annual event was announced yesterday, and includes the 2013winner and previous runner-up Millview Sarah, from Pukekohe.
However, the 7-year-old mare has not been in a similar sort of form, which opens the door for a field that includes three entries from top trainer Doug Gale.
The former Auckland Cup-winning trainer, who relocated in autumn to Bulls from Helensville, has had more than 600 winners since 1988 and was this year inducted into the New Zealand Trotting Hall-Of-Fame. Racing for him tomorrow will be Prime Legal, Wyatt Earp and contender Mach Cruiser.
All three raced at Hawera on Thursday in the lead-up to the Wanganui Cup and Gale is confident that with a little luck, Mach Cruiser has the goods.
"I'm very happy with his run at Hawera, he ran fourth, came from a long way back and he was the only one that did, coming from last."
Gale could recall some memorable country cup campaigns in the Central Districts region as he brought Power to Burn from Auckland to win the Manawatu and Taranaki cups in the past.
"It's always been a long trip in the past, but it's the closest to us now."
Wanganui Trotting Club president Carole Terry said not to discount Millview Sarah, who powered home for driver Jay Abernethy and trainer Adrienne Matthews in the 2600m feature. The cup will be run at 3.41pm, the feature of a nine-race card.
