Trainer Darren Weir continued his Caulfield Cup Day dominance making it three-from-five early on the card with the Coongy Cup 2017 win by Bendigo Cup-bound Kiwia.

Darren Weir’s Coongy Cup winner Kiwia is on track for the 2017 Bendigo Cup next race. Photo: Ultimate Racing Photos.

There were just six remaining runners in this season’s Group 3 $150,000 Coongy Cup (2000m), the handicap field decimated with five scratchings.

One of the best fancied in the open market was Weir’s progressive son of Reset Kiwia, the four-year-old looking to improve on his lead-up third under 60.5kg when getting too far back in the Murtoa Cup (2050m) on October 7.

Today the gelding dropped right back to just 54kg with jockey Damian Lane coming on for the Group 3 in his first ride aboard the up-and-comer since a 2400m Caulfield win back in late July.

First-up Kiwia won Ballarat’s Golden Nugget and dropping back in weight from last start, the chestnut was back in the winner’s stall on Caulfield Cup Day.

Lane allowed the galloper to settle right back in the field as the Lindsay Park-trained favourite Samovare blasted up on the outside, crossing from the wide gate in the small field to take the lead.

Hugh Bowman’s ride, the 58kg top weight Assign, got caught four deep pushing up to sit up second from the front-runner, while Spectroscope got the cushy run fourth then third on the fence.

Lane started to get mobile on Kiwia approaching the turn, as rival hoop Craig Williams also got going on the Godolphin-raced Spectroscope who moved into second.

Samovare kicked at the top of the straight as the backmarkers started to chase.

Around the turn for home, Kiwia ($5.50) was the widest runner but came flying down the outside, taking up the leader 50m out from the line and powering on for a one and a half-length win over Samovare ($3).

The John Thompson-trained seven-year-old import Maurus ($16) jumped at an outsider’s price, but just got enough room late to snare third and round out the Coongy Cup trifecta from the luckless Spectroscope.

“He’s a talented horse and he’s on the way up and he’s got good things ahead,” winning hoop Lane said of Kiwia.

“I was out the back when I pressed the button…very impressive.

“He’s pretty untapped still. He’s still learning, that’s the best part of him.

“I think he goes to the Bendigo Cup next and he’ll be awfully hard to beat there.”

Weir confirmed next-up plans to race Kiwia in the Group 3 $300,000 Bendigo Cup (2400m) over the mile-and-a-half on November 1, hinting at bigger things to come in future spring carnivals.

“He’s going the right way,” Weir said.

“He just continued to progress…so thought we’d have a crack at the Bendigo Cup.

“If he can hold it together, he looks on track.

“He looks better now, was a pretty rough looking diamond for a while there.

“He’s a good stayer and he’s got the right attitude.

“I think he’ll progress onto hopefully something better one day, maybe.”

To back Weir’s Coongy Cup winner Kiwia next race in the Bendigo Cup 2017, visit Ladbrokes.com.au today.

2017 Coongy Cup Results & Finishing Order

Caulfield Race 5 – 21/10/2017