Sydney and Newcastle gallopers are to the fore in nominations for Manning Valley Race Club's $531,000 prize money, two-day Taree Cup Carnival on Friday and Sunday- it being when the $100,000 Stacks Law Firm Taree Cup over 2000m takes pride of place.
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The cup has attracted 25 nominations with Sydney trainers Bjorn Baker, John Sargent and John Thompson being represented along with Newcastle's NSW premier trainer Kris Lees.
The latter has rested his hopes on former United Kingdom galloper Korcho, High Opinion and Mawaany Machine (IRE), the latter two having raced in Queensland.
The most interesting nomination is five-year-old Korcho which has only had four starts in Australia but won two of them at Rosehill last month in the hands of jockey Nat Rawiller, he then being aboard when the galloper was third in a barrier trial behind stablemate Mugatoo at Gosford on August 12.
High Opinion and Mawaany Machine have city wins but recently haven't been disgraced in races in Queensland.
Warwick Farm trainer Bjorn Baker also has nominated three-Kiss The Bride, Pressure and Baanone.
Mare Kiss The Bride won over 1800m at Randwick on August 1, Pressure won in Victoria in October but was second over 1550m at Canterbury on August 5 whereas Baanone scored over 1550m at Canterbury on June 10.
Randwick trainer John Sargent's gelding Home Ground won at Geelong over 2200m before coming north, its latest run being a second over 1900m at Canterbury on August 5.
Another Randwick trainer, John Thompson, is relying on mare Etheridge which last won over 2110m at Warwick Farm on February 12.
Best of the local brigade could be Port Macquarie's Cogliere, trained by Marc Quinn. The two meetings have attracted 339 gallopers from major city, provincial and country stables.
The feature race on Friday, the $32,000 Hopkins Livermore Cup over 1400m, has received 18 nominations from Newcastle, Wyong, Scone, Port Macquarie, Kempsey and Taree trainers.
Lees has the biggest number of nominations with nine-year-old gelding Articus, six-year-old gelding Occupy (USA) and Tawfiq Boy, a seven-year-old gelding from his Queensland stable.
Wyong trainer Kim Waugh has entered gelding Holy Reign, which has recorded two seconds at the track and the distance, and Manhattan Mist.
The former won over 1300m at Newcastle on August 8, another recent winner being Achi Baba, trained at Newcastle by Grant Marshall, which two starts back scored over 1600m at Tamworth.
The most recent winner from the Mid North Coast is last Monday's Port Macquarie victor, seven-year-old gelding O'Driscoll, trained at Kempsey by Jessica McCusker. It has won at the course and distance and has six wins over 1500m to its credit. Coming back from a fifth in the Wauchope Cup over 1500m at Port on June 14 is six-year-old gelding Dew Drop, trained at Port by John Sprague, it being capable when fresh.
An interesting nomination is Czechoslovakia (NZ), trained at Newcastle by emerging trainer Nathan Doyle, it winning over 1400m at Scone two starts back before a sixth over 1600m at Warwick Farm.
