FIVE late nominations yesterday boosted entries for the $10,000 James and Son Burrumbeet Cup, 1800 metres, to 11.
Ballarat leading trainers Darren Weir and Terry Kelly, and Stawell mentor Terry O'Sullivan added to the stocks of the cup to be run on Sunday.
Weir now has this year's Burrumbeet Cup winner Surfie Pete and Sound Tycoon nominated, while Kelly has the smart Skalaad set to go around at the New Year's Day meeting.
O'Sullivan has Prince Della and Berries Galore.
Surfie Pete is top weight with 58 kilograms ahead of Prince Della and Yonnie on 57.5
Skalaad becomes the class factor though and as a metropolitan winner appears well suited on 55.5kg.
He finished third in a class six at Werribee two starts ago.
Prince Della, which is also nominated for Sunday's Marma Cup at Murtoa, is bursting to take out a country cup.
He has run a string of minor placings in cups across Western Victoria, being second in the Edenhope, Sheep Hills and Warracknabeal Cups, and third in the Stawell Cup this year after a third in the Donald Cup last year.
Prince Della's latest efforts have included a third over 1800m at Horsham on December 18.
Sound Tycoon is a relatively new addition to the Weir stable.
Previously prepared in South Australia by Ray Angelo, Sound Tycoon has raced just once for Weir - making his debut for the team at Horsham on December 18.
Sound Tycoon began his career with Malcom Johnston in Sydney before going to David Balfour in SA.
He has not won for 12 months when he was best known as a Port Lincoln specialist.
Other entries Bigtime Charlie and Distraction are also in new surrounds.
Bigtime Charlie has had just a handful of starts for Ballarat trainer Anne Robinson, having previously been with Brendan Hearps at Bendigo.
Distraction has moved from jumps trainer Eric Musgrove to Tom Scanlon.
An extension of nominations for the Burrumbeet meeting boosted numbers across the six-race program.
Fields will be declared today.
Burrumbeet Cup nominations:
SURFIE PETE Darren Weir 58
PRINCE DELLA Terry O'Sullivan 57.5
*YONNIE Robert Linnell 57.5
ST ARNAUD BANANA Austy Coffey 55.5
BIGTIME CHARLIE Anne Robinson 55.5
*SKALAAD Terry Kelly 55.5
DISTRACTION Tom Scanlon 55
SUPER BOOM Dean Smith 54
*GRADABRA (NZ) Danny Curran 54
*SOUND TYCOON Darren Weir 54
*BERRIES GALORE Terry O'Sullivan 54
* late entries.
Email a friend