Leading trainer Tony Gollan sends out two runners, Tokoriki Lad and Macewen, in the featured Sunshine Coast Cup at the Caloundra venue on Saturday with Tokoriki Lad easily the better fancied of the two at $7 with Macewan in double figures at $18.
Jimmy Byrne, who rode Tokoriki Lad first-up when it powered home to finish just 1.75 lengths off the smart The Odyssey on Magic Millions day two weeks ago, stays on the six-year-old son of Falvelon and he is quietly confident about his chance of victory.
“I think, without a doubt, that Gold Coast run sets him up nicely for this Saturday,” said Byrne. “We had a bad gate at the Gold Coast and it was just unfortunate that there was nothing to really take us into the race that day.
“I’ve done the speed for this Saturday’s race this morning. I thought there was a pretty good, genuine tempo there. They should roll along pretty nice for us. Providing that happens, it should give us the opportunity to slot ourselves away and give us a nice run into it.
“We’ve got a wide gate again (barrier 14), but the Sunshine Coast track is a different beast compared to the Gold Coast. We’ve got that really good run to the first turn. We’ve got a nice, long home straight there. He has won at the track before as well so, while the draw is not ideal, I’m not worried about it.
“Like everybody though, we’ll need a bit of luck in the running. As I said, the track plays reasonably fair, so I’m going into the race thinking he is going to be a pretty good chance.”
When Tokoriki Lad won at the Sunshine Coast three runs ago he threw his head up and stretched his neck out in a dramatic and defiant fashion close to the line which had spectators doing a quick double-take, wondering what they had just seen.
“He is not like that at all normally,” said Byrne. “He is generally a lovely, calm horse.
“He does have few little antics. He has done antics like that before, but nothing I have ever thought to be concerned about.
“Again, I’m not worried about it,” concluded Byrne.
Tokoriki Lad goes into the race looking to improve on his eight career victories. If he finishes first or second, he will take his stake earnings past the $500 000 mark!
