KRAMBACH Cup winner, five-year-old lightly raced Scone gelding Flapdoodle, could add the $15,000 Australia Hotel Wingham Cup (1400m) to its imposing record at Taree-Wingham Race Club's big TAB meeting at Bushland Drive Racecourse, Taree, on Sunday.
The Rodney Northam trained galloper rises 1.5kgs on its Krambach Cup win but that may not be enough to stop Cessnock jockey Robert Thompson, who takes the mount again, from saluting first in a similar field.
A win may be a consolation prize from not being able to compete in the Coonabarabran Cup, washed out, which was the galloper's target after Krambach.
Flapdoodle's next run was when fourth to All Time Champion over 1750m at Muswellbrook and it was a meritorious effort as the gelding didn't get the best of favours in the running.
What's more, Northam believes Flapdoodle may have been "underdone" at Muswellbrook.
The gelding has since been freshened up and according to the trainer: "The horse is fine? he has done everything right."
"RT (Thompson) is also worth a couple of lengths."
After Taree, Flapdoodle will be set for the Mudgee Cup over 1600m on December 4.
His record in 18 starts is five wins and six placings for prizemoney of $45,400.
Flapdoodle's biggest threat could be Port Macquarie six-year-old gelding Seen Im, trained by Marc Quinn, which has been running good races in the city and should strip very fit for a distance he loves, especially with top Sydney jockey Peter Robl in the saddle.
"He ran a good race at Warwick Farm on Tuesday (fifth) and if he drew a good gate (drew 12) he would have got a good run and been hard to beat.
"If he continues to take no harm from the run, he will take his place in the field then go on to the Christmas Cup at Grafton," he said.
Quinn also has Miss Shayanne in the cup and although he expects her to run a bold race, she is being targetted for longer staying races around Christmas and in the New Year in Sydney.
The trifecta players could come from course specialist seven-year-old gelding Chaperon Bay, trained by Bob Milligan on the track, and always thereabouts eight-year-old gelding So The Cat Said, trained at Port by Neil Godbolt, which was third to Flapdoodle in the Krambach Cup, beaten only 1.5 lengths but meets the winner on worse terms.
Chaperon Bay, according to Gold Coast based jockey Vicky Schubert who rode it last start, ran a good race when second to Smokin' Dave over an unsuitable 1200m at Grafton.
She won't be on her favourite galloper as she has mounts in Queensland but she said she would be watching the gelding's race.
"He usually takes a few strides to get going and was back in that Grafton race as they went a bit too quick early for him," she said.
But it was the manner in which Chaperon Bay finished off the race which suggested the gelding could make it seven wins on his home track.
Chaperon Bay won last year's Krambach Cup over 1600m, so the distance poses no problem this time.
Godbolt said he had given So The Cat Said a long freshen up after a hectic campaign over longer distances.
"This is his right distance when he is fresh, so long as there is pace on early.
"The lay off has really brightened him up -he has been a good old horse."
Taree's Igotthelastone, trained on the course by Ross Stitt, has been mixing its form of late but was a half-length second to Our Mr Lord in last year's Wingham Cup in what should be an intriguing race.
Stitt may have better luck in the time-honoured $10,000 David Barber Bricklaying Cooplacurripa 2YO Handicap over 1000m, the second feature on the card.
He has Blinkin Beautiful engaged and it was a close second at its only start to Elite And Petite over 1000m at Grafton on November 4 and he has a good record in this race.
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