Darren Weir looks set to launch a multi-pronged assault on his hometown feature race.
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The nation’s leading trainer has nominated five of his gallopers for the 2016 Ballarat Cup and told The Courier at least three will run in Saturday’s $300,000 event.
Weir said Taiyoo, Lord van Percy and Auvray would take their place in the field, while fellow nominees Lidari and Master Zephyr also remain a chance to start in the listed race.
Owned by Ballan-based horse racing syndicators Australian Thoroughbred Bloodstock, Taiyoo won the Kyneton Cup at his last start, while Lord van Percy and Auvray both ran in Saturday’s group 3 Eclipse Stakes at Sandown. Lidari also competed in that race – finishing third behind fellow Ballarat Cup nominee Turnitaround – while Master Zephyr’s last outing was during the Flemington carnival earlier this month.
Lord van Percy, Lidari and Master Zephyr are all owned by OTI Racing and Auvray by the China Horse Club.
Just The Part delivered Weir his one and only Ballarat Cup success way back in 2004.
His quintet of nominations helps make a total of 28 for this year’s edition of the race.
The highest rated of those is 2014 Caulfield Cup runner-up Rising Romance, who is trained in partnership by David and Ben Hayes and Tom Dabernig.
Former Weir stayer Puccini – now in the care of Wayne Walters – has been entered following back-to-back runner-up placings in the Avoca and Horsham features.
Last year's winning trainer Chris Waller has just the one entrant in 2016 with the talented Lady Le Fay.
Waller took out the 2015 Ballarat Cup with Junoob.
One of the notable absentees from Monday’s nominations is Matt Cumani-trained Grey Lion, who loomed as a strong hometown chance in the race.
The overseas import placed second in the Geelong Cup and finished down the track in the Melbourne Cup at his only two starts for the Ballarat-based horseman.
Cumani said he would have liked to run the horse on Saturday, but had decided against it with eyes towards Grey Lion’s autumn campaign.
He said a start in the race would have been a great way to follow on from the official opening of his Ballarat stables, which will be in the morning before the Ballarat Cup.
“It would have been great, but so be it. I’ve been in racing (long enough) to realise that if you hang your hopes on fairy tale days then you’ll be severly disappointed,” Cumani said.
Cumani said Grey Lion had pulled up well from his Melbourne Cup run, but wanted to give him an adequate break before having him back racing during March next year.
He said while an extra week of work to race in the Ballarat Cup seemed insignificant, “every day counts” in a preparation.
Cumani trained a winner at Sunday’s Donald meeting, with Mr Coyne justifying his strong betting support to score victory in a 2000m maiden.
Meanwhile, nominations for the $200,000 Magic Millions 2YO Clockwise Classic, 1000m, have been extended through until Tuesday morning.
At 3pm on Monday, 11 nominations had been received for the race, which is for two-year-old horses and run against the traditional Victorian way-of-going.
The Ballarat Turf Club has held a number of trials for horses to qualify for the event.
Just two of the entrants have racing experience, with American Genius (Hayes/Dabernig) finishing third on debut in the listed Maribyrnong Trial at Flemington during early October and Explicitly (Robbie Laing) seventh in the same race.
Of the other features this Saturday, the VOBIS Gold Eureka Stockade, 1400m, and Magic Millions 3&4YO Classic, 1100m, have attracted solid interest.
Acceptances for all 10 races on the Ballarat Cup card will be taken on Wednesday morning.