It’s the annual Tokoroa GRC hosted TAB meeting at the Cambridge Raceway on Sunday afternoon with the $7,000 South Waikato Cup (race 10) over 457m being the feature event.

Pictured: Thrilling Talk after winning last year’s South Waikato Cup

 

The powerful Lisa Cole kennels provide the likely warm South Waikato Cup favourite with the inform Melita Vella. She is in solid current form as she ventures north to in her attempt to claim her second Provincial Cup title in a matter of weeks.

 

Two Monday’s ago, she boldly won the $6,500 Croucher & Crowder Taranaki Cup at the Hatrick Raceway over 520m. She then backed up that effort with her exciting, nose win in Monday’s 457m feature $10,000 Tim Newbold Million Dollar Man Stakes during the Commentators Day Out meeting.

 

She’s a proven Cambridge 457m chaser as seen by her three wins from four races at the venue with her best clock being a quick 25.37s gallop. She will load away into the three trap for this assignment.

 

Cole is also lining up Bigtime Archie in this event and he’ll jump away from the adjacent four trap here. He was solid when he caught the eye when he was sighted finishing strongly for his Taranaki Cup second, 1.25 lengths behind Melita Vella. He then had to clear traffic prior to finishing boldly for his six-length Monday 457m C5 fourth.

 

Local conditioner Arch Lawrence will box away his prospect Stefano into the eight trap here. He has compiled a respectable 457m record on his home track He was put aside following his traffic impeded the last start February 13 457m race here. He is provided with swooping claims from his wide draw in this feature event.

 

Ross and Lynne Udy prepared Spring Mechanic to stylishly win last Sunday’s main Manukau C4/5 527m event in 30.70s. He used pace making tactics to deliver his win and he has no option to do likewise from his tricky five trap draw if he’s going to feature at the business end of this race.

 

The Auckland Cup-winning trainer Peter Ferguson is fronting up with two contenders here from his locally based kennels. Odnoc Ankie isn’t known for his early pace, therefore he’s likely to settle back in the field after he exits from the ace trap here. He is known for his strong finish and it will be where he is positioned that will determine the racing line that he takes during the run home after he was denied a clear racing passage during his Thursday C4 457m race.

 

Kennelmate Trojan’s Magic adds the intrigue factor to this event. He was last sighted at the races back on October 17 when he contested a 457m open class event. The best guide to his prospects here is his pace making 25.84s 457m win that he delivered two weeks prior to his last outing. He will be sighted wearing the black racing vest on Sunday.

 

Another local trainer is also producing a resuming chaser for this feature. Peter Henley last presented Isn’t She Sassy on November 10 at Manukau when she contested a 603m event. She had quickly raced through the grades since she announced her arrival in this country with her NZ debut 25.73s 457m win on this track a year ago. She was a 30.64s Manukau C3/4 winner in the race she contested prior to her going out for a spell. She is racing from trap six on Sunday.

 

Completing the drawn field is the Jared Udy and Denise Cottam trained Prerogative. He lines up in this event after contesting recent Manukau 318m open class sprints where he suffered from traffic impeded races. He must begin smartly from the two trap here.           

 

As a matter of interest for this meeting, the Udy/Cottam mentored dual Group 1 winning sprinter Buddy Boom headlines the race 11 Holsters Tokoroa open class 375m sprint. He won his Railway Sprint title from the eight trap and he’s racing from that trap in Sunday’s dash.

 

Emma Potts provides the only reserve for this event with Our Rick. He has been resting his paws lately, having last contested a Manukau C4/5 527m event on January 12 when he didn’t receive any racing favours. He adds interest to the Max Matthews Memorial race 8 C3/4 457m field here if he doesn’t receive the scratching he requires to make this feature field. 

 

  

Sunday South Waikato Cup contenders includes (from left): Melita Vella; Spring Mechanic; Isn’t She Sassy  

 

The TAB Pick6 during the meeting is guaranteed to $10,000 and it will be decided over races 7-12.

 

By Peter Fenemor