Ace Victorian horseman Darren Weir dominates the Warrnambool Cup 2018 field and odds for Thursday’s feature race saddling-up four stayers in the popular May Racing Carnival clash.
The Darren Weir-trained Coongy Cup winner Kiwia is favourite in Warrnambool Cup 2018 betting for Thursday. Photo: Ultimate Racing Photos.
Set to run as Race 9 on a bumper 10 event card, this season’s Listed $200,000 Warrnambool Cup (2350m) features a capacity line-up of 16 hopefuls plus two emergencies.
Four horses are currently under $10 for the win in the Warrnambool Cup odds at Ladbrokes.com.au including the Weir-trained $3.60 favourite Kiwia.
Drawn in gate 11 with Damian Lane booked for the ride, the Reset four-year-old has his second start at the track having won there on debut back in May last year.
The consistent chestnut chases his first win since last October’s Group 3 Coongy Handicap (2000m) and comes off a lead-up second in the VOBIS Gold Heath (2000m) at Caulfield from April 21.
Equal $8 second favourite in Warrnambool Cup betting is Weir’s improving Raise The Flag five-year-old Yogi.
The gelding comes off back-to-back fourths this campaign the latest seeing him beaten nearly seven lengths in the Terang Cup (2150m).
That was run on Heavy going however and Yogi carried 56.5kg, the galloper back to 54kg on Thursday with Craig Williams to ride from a gun barrier three draw.
The other best fancied of the Weir Warrnambool Cup horses at $8.50 is the widely-drawn Gallic Chieftain, the French-bred entire coming off a Flemington win over the distance.
Winner of the Stony Creek Cup (2100m) and fourth in the Listed Mornington Cup (2400m) in March, the Tamayuz five-year-old was last seen beating home Berisha on ANZAC Day in a 2350m handicap carrying 58kg.
He rises to 59.5kg on the weekend with John Allen coming on for the ride and looks a competitive chance even with the weight.
Weir also saddles-up the 60kg top weight Master Of Arts ($10), recent winner of the Group 3 NE Manion Cup (2400m) at Rosehill, who won the race back in 2016.
Rounding out the single-figure fancies meanwhile at $8 is the John Sadler-trained Al Samer six-year-old Berisha drawn the second outside alley and coming off the close second to Gallic Chieftain from April 25.
There could be nice value further down the Warrnambool Cup markets this season with a host of in-form stayers at double-figures including Swacadelic ($11) and the flying rails-drawn Scholarly ($11).
Aaron Purcell saddles-up Swacadelic (54kg), the evergreen seven-year-old having run top three in his four runs going back to last November’s Melbourne Cup Carnival.
Runner-up in the Listed Sandown Cup (3200) in the spring, the gelding was a first-up second in the Stawell Cup (2000m) on April 1 before a last start Terang Cup (2150m) win in the set by nearly two lengths a fortnight later.
Scholarly meanwhile is after win number six on the trot, the Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott-trained High Chaparral four-year-old last seen saluting at Cranbourne with 60kg on his back over 2025m.
Thursday has the up-and-comer chase his first win over further, but he comes right back in weight to the 54kg minimum having carted 60.5kg and 60kg to victory in his last two wins.
Check out the full Warrnambool Cup 2018 field and betting markets below, odds open now at Ladbrokes.com.au.
