There will be a big roar if Blunakka salutes in the $25,000 Petrogas Burrumbeet Cup, 1800m, at Burrumbeet on Friday.
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While the crowd will be much smaller than usual because of COVID-19 restrictions, there will be no shortage of support for the Dan O'Sullivan-trained six-year-old.
Blunakka is raced by a big contingent of hometown racing enthusiasts and identities including Burrumbeet Park and Windermere Racing Club committee members and life members.
There was a big celebration on track in 2019 when Blunakka scored at the New Year's Day meeting.
He backed up in this year's Burrumbeet Cup, but could not manage better than sixth.
Blunakka appears better suited this time though, having won three times since, including two starts ago at Warrnambool.
Swan Hill jockey Harry Coffey will be in the saddle and attempting to win the race for the third time.
He scored on Heisman and then on Vianden in 2018.
If successful, Blunakka will emulate the likes of Skalaad in 2007 and Heisman in 2014 which won the Burrumbeet Cup for similar groups of hometown connections.
The cup has attracted a capacity field of 10, with this year's winner Not To Know attempting to become the first back-to-back winner since the Darren Weir-trained Surfie Pete in 2005 and 2006.
Warrnambool galloper Mr Reckless, trained by Ron Daniel, is top weight.
Ballarat apprentice jockey Alana Kelly will claim 1.5kg to ease his weight burden down to 57.5.
While Ballarat trainers have a great record in the race, Cranbourne's Ken Keys will be chasing a third win in the cup in the past 20 years.
He won with El Edicion in 2002 and Blue Collar Jack in 2010. This time he has Clean Acheeva, which he trains in partnership with his daughter Kasey.
CUP FIELD
1-x44 MR RECKLESS (Ron Daniel) Alana Kelly (a1.5) 9 59kg
2-108 DIPLOMAC JACK (Thomas Carberry) Neil Farley 3 56kg
3-063 BRIGADIER (Wayne Walters) Kate Walters 4 55.5kg
4-867 CLEAN ACHEEVA (Ken & Kasey Keys) Emily Brown (a3) 2 55.5kg
5-540 NOT TO KNOW (Mitchell Freedman) Jarrod Fry 10 55kg
6-810 BLUNAKKA (Dan O'Sullivan) Harry Coffey 1 55kg
7-345 SOUTHERN TURF (George Osborne) Lucinda Boyd 5 55kg
8-552 EXPRESS RAIDER (Nicholas Roe) Mikaela Lawrence (a2) 8 55kg
9-231 SILK JACKET (Matt Cumani) Dean Holland 7 55kg
10-343 VON MYSTIC (Logan McGill) Tatum Bull (a2) 6 55kg
The TAB meeting will be feature seven races, with the first at 1.40pm.
Burrumbeet Park and Windermere Racing Club has been given permission to have up to 1500 people on course and with COVIDSafe restrictions in place the day will have a much different look to it.
Anyone wanting to attend must pre-purchase tickets, with no general admission accepted on the day.
