VETERAN galloper Daka's Gem will be given a chance to win back-to-back Ballarat Cups.
The 10-year-old is among 37 nominations for the listed $130,0000 Sportsbet.com.au Ballarat Cup, 2200 metres, to be run next Wednesday.
Despite his advancing years, Daka's Gem is racing as well as ever with a third in Moe Cup, third in the Bendigo Cup and second in the Kyneton Cup at his past three starts.
The Mick Price-trained Miss Marren is the class nomination, with a third in the group one Kelt Capital in New Zealand and second in the group one Mackinnon Stakes in her latest assignments.
Melbourne Cup runners Gallions Reach amd Ista Kareem, country cups king Bourbonstreetblues and 2007 Ballarat Cup winner Sentire are other entries.
Ballarat-trained hopes include Oak Heart (trained by Darren Weir), Red Riviera (Terry Kelly), Golden Charmer (Dan O'Sullivan), Sylvan O'Reilly (Barry James), Kinugawa (Go Shigemi) and Speek of the Devil (Damien Hunter).
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