A quality line-up of country gallopers will take to the track at Ooralea Racecourse on Saturday in the Mackay Cup 2017 field including Trinity Bannon’s local hope Old Smokey.

Deconstructed (pictured at Doomben) is the only other horse in Saturday’s 2017 Mackay Cup field weighted above the minimum along with Craiglea Deken. Photo: Daniel Costello.

The most prestigious race conducted by the Mackay Turf Club annually, this year’s $75,000 Mackay Cup (1800m) is set to run as Race 7 at 3:49pm (AEST) and features a dozen gallopers.

Drawn gate nine with apprentice Quayde Krough booked for the ride, Natural Destiny grey Old Smokey is out to improve on his close third behind the flying Craiglea Deken in the weight-for-age HL Black Memorial race at the track over 1560m on June 15.

Old Smokey comes back from 59kg that run to Saturday’s 54kg minimum, meeting his last start conqueror seven kilos better in the weights as the Krystle Johnston-trained Craiglea Deken has been lumped with the hefty 61kg top weight in the Mackay Cup.

Still many bookies are taking no chances with Longhorn four-year-old Craiglea Deken who is early favourite in the Mackay Cup betting markets this winter.

The gun gelding has won his six latest starts on the trot, five at Townsville and the Mackay Cup lead-up as the odds-on favourite.

He’ll be short in the Mackay Cup odds again this weekend having proven he can handle plenty of weight carrying between 60.5kg – 64kg in his four runs before success at the track a fortnight ago.

The other best out of the HL Black Memorial lead-up is the Glenda Bell-trained runner-up Fastnet Flyer who also comes back to 54kg for Saturday’s rematch.

Prepared by Bell out of Emerald, Husson six-year-old Fastnet Flyer has had three previous runs at the track for a win and two seconds.

He’s also proven at the 1800m boasting a nice record of three wins and two seconds from eight starts over the distance, while Craiglea Deken is yet to win over further than a mile.

Following Craiglea Deken in the Mackay Cup weights and the only other hopeful above the 54kg minimum is the Tom Button-trained Street Cry five-year-old Deconstructed (54.5kg).

The Rockhampton galloper was last seen racing on June 24 at home in the $100,000 Rockhampton Cup (1600m) where he ran just one and a half-lengths back fourth behind the winner Colour Charge.

He’s on the quick back-up then and sees the Mackay track for the first time, but is going too well to knock as he chases his first top three run at his third start over the 1800m.

The rails run from barrier one meanwhile belongs to the in-form Tony McMahon-trained Masked Assassin mare Mamselle Corday.

She comes off back-to-back seconds over 1400m and 1600m respectively at Rockhampton and is yet to finish out of the money at the Mackay track (2-1-1-0).

The five-year-old does still need to prove she can step-up to 1800m however and that will be the test for her and hoop Dale Evans in the Mackay Cup.

Other notable hopes in the mix include Tony Sears’ Testa Rossa four-year-old Palace Tycoon coming off a mile win at Rockhampton on June 22 by two lengths who boasts previous winning form up to 2200m and Tim Cook’s Canny Lad mare Doubos who is on the steady improve rising in distance.

See below for the full Mackay Cup 2017 Field, Barriers & Weights with the latest Queensland Winter Racing odds on the event to open shortly at Ladbrokes.com.au.

2017 Mackay Cup Final Field & Barrier Draw

Mackay Race 7 (3:49pm) – 01/07/2017