PREMIER Port Macquarie jockey Peter Graham has pinned his faith in Taree galloper Our Mr Lord to deliver him a win in the 125th, $25,000 Forster Tuncurry Transmissions Krambach Cup (1600m) at Bushland Drive Racecourse, Taree, today.
A win on the eight-year-old gelding would give him his second major cup at Taree in two months, the other being the $60,000 Taree Gold Cup on Scone gelding With A Chance.
Punters will be praying that the Michael Byers trained Our Mr Lord can break through for the gelding's first win for several years, the galloper being hampered for sometime with foot problems.
Byers is feeling fresh after holidaying in New Zealand on some of the 150-1 each way he got on Our Mr Lord when it ran third at Canterbury and there is one guarantee today - the galloper will be way short of those lucrative odds.
"I've been back a week and I am raring to go and win some races," Byers said.
He reported that Our Mr Lord "hasn't missed a beat" while he has been away and the gelding's 'feet are excellent'.
His confidence is high that Our Mr Lord will run well in getting its lowest weight locally for a long time.
Although his charge hasn't won for a couple of years, Byers feels that Our Mr Lord is 'crying out for the 1600m of the cup'.
The gelding has taken a long time to get his feet right and it must be remembered that he won six races in a row, including one at Wyong, when in top form several campaigns back.
Regular race jockey, Broadmeadow's Dale Spriggs, is being operated on for a jaw injured recently in a race fall but the gelding should be given every chance by replacement jockey Graham who is in winning form and is riding four gallopers for Byers at the meeting.
Our Mr Lord's main danger could be four-year-old Port gelding Eireplay, trained by Tas Morton, which has been in superb form of late and is the new kid on the block.
In 20 starts, Eireplay has won five races and been placed 12 times for prizemoney of nearly $90,000 - about $14,000 more than Our Mr Lord, although that galloper has won eight races from 52 starts.
Eireplay chased home former Sydney winner Soiled when third over 1200m at Port last week, was second at its two previous starts and won two before them.
Both Eireplay and Our Mr Lord haven't won beyond 1411m but both give every indication they will be suited by the extra distance and both can handle any track conditions.
The galloper which could upset both if given an easy run in the lead is track specialist, six-year-old gelding Chaperon Bay, trained on the track by Bob Milligan who won the Krambach Cup with Nasrulla King in 2004 and usually nets a winner or two at Krambach Race Club meetings.
Chaperon Bay is very fit, has won up to 1412m and has the enviable record of seven starts at the Bushland Drive Racecourse for five wins and two placings, so represents great each-way value in starts here.
The weight horse of the field is Taree five-year-old gelding Mr Mumbles, trained by Ross Stitt, which will only have to carry 51kgs with Coffs Harbour apprentice jockey Matthew Chadwick taking the mount.
At least Mr Mumbles has won at 1600m, had four wins here and any rain enhances its chances as it won four in a row in the wet last campaign.
"The weight is in is favour and he hasn't been running bad races of late," Stitt said.
"He has to be some hope under the weight scale."
Port gelding Singtom won three in a row and may have not got the distance of 2000 in the Port Cup at its next and last start and the Kuru Heta galloper has to be in the mix.
Cases can also be made for former top galloper Windon, trained at Port by Neil Godbolt, recent winner Stormy Lee, trained at Taree by Trevor Shoesmith and veteran He's Rockin', trained at Wauchope by Grant Prosser.
It is a very even field and jockey's tactics will prove decisive in finding the winner on a track which is bound to be dead-rated or worse.
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