Daniel Stackhouse will look to parlay his recent good run of form into success in the Ballarat Cup.
Stackhouse picks up the ride aboard It’s A Wild Night in the $500,000 Listed contest over 2000m on Saturday, taking over from Blake Shinn who is Hong Kong bound for Sunday’s international meeting at Sha Tin.
It’s A Wild Night was the unlucky runner at his most recent appearance when fifth behind Globe in the Listed Cranbourne Cup (1600m) on November 23.
Stackhouse has been in excellent form of late, picking up the Group 2 Sandown Guineas on Snitzanova last Saturday which followed a treble at Moonee Valley the previous night.
It’s A Wild Night will need to overcome the second widest draw to claim the 2024 Ballarat Cup on Saturday, but Stackhouse is not letting that worry him at his first ride on the Mark Walker-trained gelding.
“He was unlucky in the Cranbourne Cup and his form before that was good too,” Stackhouse said.
“That gives me some confidence, but he has a tricky barrier in what is a pretty solid Ballarat Cup, but there is a pretty good run from the 2000-metre start.
“It’s a very competitive race and it’s good to be a part of it.”
A number of the main players in Saturday’s race have drawn out near It’s A Wild Night, but Stackhouse is yet to delve too deeply into the form.
But the barrier draw might prove beneficial if the rain predicted for Ballarat on Friday and Saturday does eventuate.
The track was rated a Slow 6 on Thursday morning with up to 20mm potentially hitting the Ballarat racecourse in the following days.
“The barrier draw, it’s not something I’ve not dissected yet, but it might be an advantage being out there late in the day, especially if the rain does come,” Stackhouse said.
“The track could change.”
Saturday’s race is an open contest with Poison Chalice heading the market with betting sites at $5 ahead of Future History at $6 with It’s A Wild Night a $12 chance.
