Veteran gelding Prussian Secret is set to be given the chance to defend his title in the $50,000 2013 Mackay Cup (1800m) on Saturday.

The eight-year-old was a convincing winner last year and is one of 21 horses entered to contest the North Queensland town’s biggest race.

Prussian Secret will head to Mackay in solid form after running fourth in the Rockampton Cup last month. With none of the Rockampton placegetters nominated for Mackay, the Jared Whelow-trained galloper appears well placed to claim back-to-back titles.

Also returning for the second year in a row is local hope Our Boy Lukas who will be out to exact revenge after trailing Prussian Secret home for second in 2012.

The well-travelled eight-year-old, who has won races at venues across the country, won his last start at Mackay last month and is one of eight horses entered for local trainer John Manzelmann.

Others in Manzelmann’s contingent include one-time Brisbane winner More More More and in-form gelding Just The Tonic who has produced top four finishes at his past six trips to the races.

Also well regarded is Writer who was one of the most successful horses to race in North Queensland last year.

The Rockhampton-based galloper took out his hometown cup before finishing fourth in the Mackay Cup and winning the Townsville Cup.

But the David Stafford-trained gelding will have to show a form turnaround if he is to add the Mackay feature to his resume after labouring to finish seventh in his attempt a title defence in last month’s Rockhampton Cup.

Rockhampton Cup 2013 – Nominations

–	Horse	Trainer	Hcp Rating
1	ARISTOCRATICO	Mark Barnham	65
2	BARAMUL BULLET	Greg Wehlow	75
3	CASH ATTACK	Laurel Cullen	87
4	CHINRUB	Ricky Vale	78
5	CRACK A SMILE	John Manzelmann	67
6	DAMN GOOD IDEA	Mark R Cochrane	70
7	DELAGO PILLI	Graham Pollock	76.5
8	DENWOOD	Darryl Hansen	76
9	DESPERATE WOMAN	Kevin Hansen	72.5
10	JUST THE TONIC	John Manzelmann	70
11	MIDNIGHT HUSTLER	John Manzelmann	66
12	MISTY ROCKET	John Manzelmann	68
13	MOHTASHEM (IRE)	John Manzelmann	73
14	MORE MORE MORE	John Manzelmann	77.5
15	NEVZLIN	Christine Dore	80
16	OUR BOY LUKAS (NZ)	John Manzelmann	77
17	OUR GOLD STASH	Michael Whitehouse	68
18	PRUSSIAN SECRET	Jared Wehlow	94
19	SARBI	John Manzelmann	75.5
20	SPEEDSKATER	David Stafford	64
21	WRITER	David Stafford	88