Skip to Content

Can Another Local Treasure Claim the Gawler Cup?

The lightly raced Buried Treasure will have the support of the whole town of Gawler when the gelding steps out in his hometown Cup on Friday evening.

While Buried Treasure may be an outsider in a hot field, the Gawler locals always save their best for their hometown Cup which has been won by Gary Searle’s Lady Silhouette the past two years.

The Kerri McAnulty & Clint Binnie trained seven-year-old will only be having his 19th career start in the Cup but he’s a horse who saves his best for his home track. Five of his six career wins have come at Gawler and the gelding has never missed a place in seven starts at the track.

While this is the biggest test of his career, the horse loves the 1500m with two wins and a second from three runs over the distance. He’ll be ridden by Paul Gatt who has ridden five winners at Gawler this season and has won on the horse before.

In a wide open race, there look to be many live chances including Listed Murray Bridge Cup placegetters Boris in Ossory and Hussybay.

Grant Young’s Borris in Ossory produced a gutsy run to finish second in the Murray Bridge Cup last week but surprisingly the well-travelled horse has never raced at Gawler before. Apprentice Sophie Logan retains the ride on the gelding after his run in the Murray Bridge Cup and it looks like the 1500m might suit him a tad better than the mile with all of his career wins coming over the 1400m.

The third placed runner in the Murray Bridge Cup was Mick Huxtable’s Hussybay. He beat a good field the start prior over 1400m in town and is a quality horse. In-form apprentice Jerry Chau takes the ride on him for first time and Chau has been on fire at Gawler this season riding five winners.

Young trainer Michael Hickmott will saddle up two runners in the Cup including the ex-Chris Waller trained Xebec. The eight-year-old ran third in the Darwin Cup back in August and while he has talent this race may be a little short for him as he’s never won a race under 2100m. His other runner Cannot Be Serios comes in with some good formlines where in his last start he beat home Murray Bridge Cup winner Nistaan at Morphettville.

In that race, his father John’s horse Marina beat both of those runners home and since that win he’s gone on to run successive third placings at Morphettville. The horse also has two wins at the Gawler track and a decent record over 1500m. Carrying a light weight he is a great chance.

The Tony & Calvin McEvoy camp are looking for two SA Provincial Cup wins within a week with their runner Classic Weiwei. The youngster contested the Group 1 SA Derby in May and is a Listed winner over 1800m. First-up he finished last in town but he is undefeated second-up and has the McEvoy polish.

The chances don’t finish there with Phillip Stokes’ mare So We Are. She won the Listed Adelaide Guineas in May and while she was disappointing as favourite first-up she is one from one at Gawler and has plenty of class. Stokes won the Gawler Cup back in 2015 with Okahu Bay.

Finally, the late entry for the race Chapel City has an amazing record at Gawler and has never finished worse than fourth at the track. He has also placed four out of five times third-up so he will be cherry ripe for this assignment.

Selections:

  1. So We Are 2. Marina 3. Hussybay 4. Buried Treasure

Post categories

Racing SA - Racing Racing SA - Stories Racing SA - Latest News