GOTTINO will have to overcome a significant weight impost if he is to add to his impressive list of country cup victories in Saturday's $15,000 Avoca Cup, 1860m.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
With 63kg, the former Victorian country racehorse of the year will be giving away 8kg to the bulk of the capacity field.
Clang And Bang (60kg) and Elusive King (56kg) are the only other acceptors with more than the minimum of 55kg on their back.
Nikita Beriman will again be in the saddle on the Dan O'Sullivan-trained Gottino, having also ridden him first-up at Moonee Valley on September 26.
The seven-year-old is being aimed at the Ballarat Cup, 2200m.
Clang And Bang has struggled to regain his best form, which early last season saw Darren Weir-trained stayer produce back-to-back wins at Flemington and Moonee Valley.
He has not won in six starts since, but did put in an improved effort last start when fourth in the Coleraine Cup - just 2.4 lengths behind winner Orientaped
Avoca Shire Turf Club has programmed a seven-race card, with the first at will have seven at 1pm.
CUP FIELD
1-559 GOTTINO (Dan O'Sullivan) Ms Nikita Beriman 10 63kg
2-874 CLANG AND BANG (Darren Weir) John Allen 9 60kg
3-889 ELUSIVE KING (Kane Harris) Alan Creighton 6 56kg
4-960 GET OUT OF TOWN (Dane Smith) 12 55kg
5-433 SPANISH VIXEN (Paul A Jones) Jordan Childs (a0) 13 55kg
6-783 SCAREDYMAC (Christina Jeffery) Boris Thornton (a3) 2 55kg
7-425 CISCO DELAGO (Michael Cornish-Donna Gaskin) Ibrahim Gundogdu 5 55kg
8-676 ROSEWALL (Christie Chessells) Luke Londregan (a2) 3 55kg
9-634 HENSHAW (Mick Cerchi) 8 55kg
10-805 MISTER COOL (Lyle Marsden) Edward Creighton 7 55kg
EMERGENCIES
13-795 SLEEP'N PETE (Rod Grantley) Brian Park 4 55kg
12-909 KING TAROS (Bob Challis) Chris Nicoll 1 55kg
13-961 DRINKIN'N'DREAMIN (Shelley Kirkpatrick) Roger Booth 11 55kg