RANDWICK trainer John Sargent is hoping to make another successful North Coast assault on Sunday with his first starter in the $80,000 Taree Cup.
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The former leading Kiwi trainer had his first runners at a Taree meeting last month and came away with one win from his three starters.
Sargent may have been testing the water as he is set to return for Sunday’s $80,000 Stacks Law Firm Taree Cup (2000m), the feature race of the Taree carnival that starts with the Hopkins Livermore Cup meeting today.
Sargent nominated last start Newcastle winner Paragon and the lightly-raced Elusive Runner for the Taree Cup but will put his faith in the latter horse with Blake Sprigs booked for the ride.
Paragon and Elusive Runner are acceptors for the $85,000 Randwick Mayor’s Cup over 2400m at Randwickon Saturday but Sargent said he wanted to split the pair.
“Paragon will run over 2400m at Randwick and Elusive Runner can go to Taree,” Sargent said.
Sargent said the 2400m at Randwick was more suitable for Paragon after his last start win over 3200m at Newcastle by seven lengths.
Elusive Runner has been lightly raced with just 10 starts for a win and four placings. He has been improved by four starts since resuming from a spell and will be backing up from a seventh behind Dubaiinstyle over 2000m at Rosehill last Saturday.
The increased prizemoney for the Taree Cup has attracted a strong field with the Kris Lees stablemates Slow Pace (Robert Thompson) and Olympic Academy (Aaron Bullock) heading the field from recent city winners Get On The Grange (Josh Parr), Pirate Ben and Braces (Winona Costin).
Lees won his first Taree Cup two years ago with Slivovitz. Thompson has won the race twice but it has been 26 years since his last success in 1990.
Andrew Gibbons won the 2014 Taree Cup for Lees on Slivovitz but will oppose the stable on Sunday after taking the mount on the Ken Lantry-trained Egyptian Ruler.
Egyptian Ruler is primed for Sunday’s race after a bold fourth behind Dubaiinstyle at Rosehill last Saturday when having his first start since an excellent fifth in last month’s Grafton Cup.
Local hopes rest with the Alan Kehoe-trained Get On The Grange, a recent Sydney and Queensland winner who is raced by a syndicate of owners from Taree and Wingham, and Halfway To Heaven, trained at Taree by Bob Haire. A win by Halfway To Heaven would be a big lift for Haire as he has been in ill health.
MEANWHILE the Manning River Times will carry an extensive review of the Taree Cup Carnival in print and online from next Monday. This will include pictorial coverage.
Braces an attention seeker
By Tony White
BRACES, Greg Hickman’s great chance in Sunday’s $80,000 Stacks Law Firm Taree Cup (2000m), has a character all of his own.
He’s a thoroughbred attention seeker who lets the staff at Hickman’s Warwick Farm stables know when he wants something.
“He bangs on the door to get attention,” Hickman said. “He’s a real attention seeker.
“I had to build him his own special yard to do his own thing in.
“Whenever he wants something he wants it now and lets you know.”
Braces, a “cheap buy at the Classic Sale in Sydney” according to Hickman, was named after a stable incident.
“He broke his jaw as a young horse and had to have it wired up,” Hickman recalled. “He looked like he had braces so the name stuck. He’s a real character at home. There’s not another one like him.”
Braces has endeared himself to Hickman and his syndicate of owners in more ways than one. He has won over $184,000 but more importantly gives his all most times he goes around.
And what a consistent patch of form the five-year-old gelding has struck in recent times.
Braces has recorded four second’s and a win from his past five starts in Sydney.
“He’s going great, racing very consistently,” Hickman added. “Things like that happen with horses. There’s no special reason just putting them in the right races at the right time. He’s a good wet tracker, everyone knows that, but all the so called experts said he couldn’t stay but he can.
“Coming back to 2000 metres on Sunday won’t worry him, in fact it’s good.
“He’s got into the cup with just 56 kilos. I think it was better going to Taree instead of staying in town (Sydney).
“I think the race will be run to suit him. There are other chances, certainly, like the top weight (Slow Pace) and Private Ben but I’m more than happy with my horse.
“The jockey (Winona Costin) rides him well. They get on good together.
“Everything is in order.”