Darren Weir is throwing the might of his premier stable at Saturday’s $350,000 Ballarat Cup in a bid to land the listed event for a second time.
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Weir has six horses guaranteed a run and one other – race favourite Lucky For All – as the next in line to get a run as second emergency
Weir had five starters locked in when the cup line-up was declared on Wednesday, with last-start Kyneton Cup winner Another Coldie, Tradesman, Kiwia, last-start Ararat Cup winner Andrea Mantegna and Hamilton Cup winner Master Zephyr inside the field limit.
This grew with the scratching of the Chris Waller-trained Savacool, with first emergency Top Prospect getting a run.
Weir has to go back 14 years to his only Ballarat Cup success, with Just The Part giving the now record-breaking trainer one of his early major wins.
The chances of a second consecutive hometown win – the now banned Robert Smerdon scored with Grand Dreamer last year – do not just sit with Weir.
Archie Alexander has Lord Fandango engaged and Matt Cumani will send around One More Try, which has won her past three starts.
Neither Alexander or Cumani fared well in the barrier draw. One More Try has drawn the extreme outside with 21, which go into 18 once the scratchings are finalised, and Lord Fandango will also jump from a wide gate in 15.
Chris Waller has top weight Life Less Ordinary as he looks to add to 2015 Ballarat Cup win with Junoob.
BALLARAT CUP FIELD
1-352 LIFE LESS ORDINARY (Chris Waller) 7 60
2-644 LORD FANDANGO (Archie Alexander) 15 59.5
3-411 ANOTHER COLDIE (Darren Weir) 1 58
4-x07 TRADESMAN (Darren Weir) 5 58
5-495 KIWIA (Darren Weir) 13 57.5
6-124 MASK OF TIME (Ciaron Maher-David Eustace) 20 57.5
7-503 LUVALUVA (John Sargent) 9 55
8-661 ANDREA MANTEGNA (Darren Weir) 6 54
9-068 BERISHA (John Sadler) 8 54
10-111 ONE MORE TRY (Matt Cumani) 21 54
11-7707 PILOTE D’ESSAI (D and B Hayes-T Dabernig) 2 54
12-x93 LYCURGUS (Danny O'Brien) 11 54
13-153 MASTER ZEPHYR (Darren Weir) 17 54
14-121 SAVACOOL scratched
15-x77 SWACADELIC (Aaron Purcell) 3 54
16-8x6 ONCIDIUM RULER (Michael Kent) 14 54
17-244 SILVERA (Tony McEvoy) 16 54
18-319 SMART AS YOU THINK (John McArdle) 12 54
EMERGENCIES
19-x21 TOP PROSPECT (Darren Weir) 18 54
20-3216 LUCKY FOR ALL (Darren Weir) 10 54
21-832 HE EKSCELS (Richard Laming) 4 54
MARKET
(Sportsbet fixed odds)
3.80 Lucky For All
5.50 Life Less Than Ordinary, Another Coldie
7.50 Luvaluva
8.50 Kiwia, One More Try
10.00 Lord Fandango
16.00 Lycurgus, Top Prospect
17.00 Tradesman
19.00 Mask Of Time
23.00 Andrew Mantagne
31.00 Silvera, Smart As You Think, He Ekscels
34.00 Master Zephyr, Oncidium Ruler
51.00 Berisha
81.00 Pilote D'essai, Swacadelic