Are You Sure will run in the Goulburn Cup despite trainer Cameron Crockett conceding the bush feature looks a tougher race than a Randwick option.
And it’s not just the extra $15,000 prize money swaying the Mudgee trainer towards Goulburn on Sunday.
Crockett says the bigger expanses of the country track will suit Are You Sure better than the Kensington circuit.
A lighter handicap will also help Are You Sure.
“At Kensington it’s a much tighter track and it tends to favour front-runners,” he said.
“And there seems to be a bit of speed at Goulburn which will also suit.”
A last-start fourth over 1800m at Randwick, Are You Sure will drop in trip for Sunday’s 1600-metre race.
But Crockett pointed to his previous effort at Coonabarabran when he ran a record time over the Goulburn Cup trip.
“I know it’s only Coonabarabran, but he still smashed the track record,” Crockett said.
Star country jockey Greg Ryan, who has ridden Are You Sure to seven of his nine wins, will partner the horse at Goulburn.
Scone trainer Greg Bennett, the man who broke in three-time Melbourne Cup winner Makybe Diva, has never previously ventured to Goulburn.
But come Sunday the accomplished horseman hopes it will be first time lucky when he saddles up Kaypers in the Cup.
“The big, open spaces at the track will suit my horse and we’re going down there fit and healthy and ready for the mile,” Bennett said.
Kaypers comes into the feature country cup with two solid runs under his belt, Bennett believing the nine-time winning seven-year-old is ready to peak.
“He probably should have won more races than he has. He’s run a lot of places in some nice races,” Bennett said.
“His two runs have been solid. He had no luck at Hawkesbury last start yet wasn’t beaten far.”
