The Caloundra City Cup was first run in 1985 and won by Rock Show for the late Jim Atkins. Since the inaugural running, the honour roll is a good one with handy horses like Victory Smile, Portland Singa, Reggie and Ironstein from last year all winning this Listed staying test. View this years preview.
14 horses are set to run this Saturday for the 2011 edition of the $200,000 Listed Caloundra Cup (2400m) with recent Ipswich Cup winner Gold In Dubai the $3.80 favourite ahead of kiwi stalwart Tinseltown at $7.50.
It was not long ago that Gold In Dubai was rated as a handy sprinter/miler but during this campaign he has showed that 2000m+ is his go. Won well at Flemington four starts back, then bumped into the emerging superstar December Draw, before being out pinged at Eagle Farm over 1500m. Michael Walker jumped on him in the Ipswich Cup and he controlled the race from the front and gave nothing else a chance. The key to this horse is to get rolling on him from the 800m because he doesn’t have a turn of foot, but he will keep grinding away all day and that’s what won him the Ipswich Cup. If Walker is allowed to adopt similar tactics here, he’ll be hard to beat, even with the 2.5kg weight rise. The only thing against him is the wet weather because if the track is worse than dead, then he is vulnerable.
Tinseltown is knocking on the door to win. Got back and was forced wide in the Premier’s Cup but he still hit the line hard for an unlucky second before he was caught deep in the Brisbane Cup and plugged home late. I put that effort down to a bad ride by McEvoy, but he is drawn much better here, gun kiwi rider Chad Ormsby takes over, he can handle the weight, loves some give in the ground and he strikes a really nice event to breakthrough in Australia.
If the heavens open up, Mr Clangtastic is the horse. His five runs off a 14 month spell have been solid, but he has taken his time to get fully right. He was very good in the Ajax first up behind Pureness, ran out of his skin in the Rowley Mile, led and kicked on strongly at Canterbury, then did too much work and stopped at Doomben before being given the gun ride by Damien Browne in the Ipswich Cup but he battled late. He should be 100% ready here. He gets conditions to suit, meets Gold In Dubai 3kg better off, drawn well, Browne sticks and in form, as well as finding a weak field bar two or three others.
I can find only another two more hopes here. Viking Hero has had a mixed campaign. Looked a tragedy beaten in the Chairman’s before two ugly runs. He then stepped out in the Tatts Cup and he found some form again when sitting near the speed and fighting on well to finish fourth, four lengths behind Ironstein. If he was at his best, no doubt he’d beat these with a leg in the air. He has drawn the fence, should be put to sleep and the wet ground won’t be an issue.
Teary Eyed was a clear blackbooker from the Ipswich Cup. He sat well back, pulled out five and six wide on the home turn and powered home late to finish a great fourth, indicating he’ll prove awfully hard to beat here with luck. Stradbroke Handicap winning rider Jason Taylor rides and with some speed on up front, he’ll be finishing the race off better than anything else.
Written by Adam Page
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