The feature horse race this Sunday November 20th will take place in Victoria with the $130,000 Listed Ballarat Cup (2200m) set to light up the track, the feature running on a Sunday for the first time in history.
The 2010 Ballarat Cup has drawn a final field of 16 quality stayers with the Peter Snowden-trained Kidnapped the top-weight with 59kg.
The highest rated Ballarat Cup hopeful, four-year-old gelding Kidnapped has drawn barrier 10 for Sunday and they will advantage from the drop back in class from the Group 1 races they contested throughout the Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival.
Winner of the Group 1 South Australian Derby (2500m) back in May, Kidnapped’s best performance this season was fifth to More Joyous in the Group 1 Toorak Handicap (1600m) at Caulfield, but despite their inconsistent runs of late should start one of the favourites in the Ballarat Cup betting.
Sunday may be the last Australian start for Kidnapped with connections looking to send them overseas to race for the Godolphin enterprise.
South Australian raider Right Fong is another interesting contender in the Ballarat Cup, the seven-year-old coming off a solid second to Tagus in the Bundaberg Distilling Stakes (1800m) at Flemington on Melbourne Cup Day, and drawn ideally with barrier three for Sunday.
Heath Conner’s six-year-old gelding Davcon has also come up with a good barrier for the Ballarat Cup, set to jump from barrier four with top jockey Ben Melham aboard.
Carrying just 53.5kg and coming off an eye-catching second to Viking Hero in the Group 3 Eclipse Stakes (1800m) at Sandown, Davcon has real claims here and can improve on his third place finish from last year.
My Bentley is the other top runner to add into your multiples, the Mick Kent-trained gelding having placed second in both the Cranbourne Cup (2025m) and the Bendigo Cup (2200m) back in October.
The two local Ballarat gallopers are Gotta Keep Cool and Golden Charmer, the home contingent suffering a blow both drawing wide with barriers 16 and 15 respectively.
Other notable horses in the Ballarat Cup field this year include the Steve Richards-trained Playwright and Greg Eurell’s consistent Testa Rossa gelding Red Colossus, who finished one-two in the $100,000 7Mate Handicap (2000m) at Flemington on Emirates Stakes Day.
There are also a string of country cup winners among in the line-up with Terang Cup winner Picalero (barrier 13) to be ridden by Michelle Payne, Barinsdale Cup champion Allanthus (barrier 14) and five-year-old mare Windarra Place (barrier two) who took out the Ararat Cup (2000m) last start.
The 2010 Ballarat Cup is scheduled as Race 8 at Ballarat on Sunday and is due to jump at 4:12pm (AEDST).
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2010 Ballarat Cup Final Field & Barrier Draw
| # | Horse | Trainer | Jockey | Barrier | Weight (kg) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | KIDNAPPED | Peter Snowden | Mark Zahra | 10 | 59 |
| 2 | PLAYWRIGHT (NZ) | Steve Richards | Matt Pumpa | 8 | 58.5 |
| 3 | RED COLOSSUS | Greg Eurell | Craig Williams | 9 | 55 |
| 4 | RIGHT FONG | David Balfour | Mark Pegus | 3 | 54.5 |
| 5 | THE HOMBRE | John Bary | Michael Walker | 6 | 54.5 |
| 6 | BOURBONSTREETBLUES | Daryl Cannon | Dean Yendall | 11 | 54 |
| 7 | BRAD STAR | Vincent Bradley | Glen Boss | 12 | 53.5 |
| 8 | DAVCON | Heath Conners | Ben Melham | 4 | 53.5 |
| 9 | MY BENTLEY (NZ) | Michael Kent | Brad Rawiller | 5 | 53.5 |
| 10 | PERGOLA (NZ) | Colin & Cindy Alderson | James Winks | 1 | 53.5 |
| 11 | PICALERO | Barbara Marshman | Michelle Payne | 13 | 53.5 |
| 12 | ALLANTHUS | Brian Jenkins | Lisa Cropp | 14 | 53.5 |
| 13 | GOTTA KEEP COOL | Darren Weir | Luke Nolen | 16 | 53.5 |
| 14 | WINDARRA PLACE | Terry & Karina O’Sullivan | Danny Nikolic | 2 | 53.5 |
| 15 | GOLDEN CHARMER | Dan O’Sullivan | Dean Holland | 15 | 53.5 |
| 16 | SWEET TALKING GUY | Colin Little | - | 7 | 53.5 |
