An even dozen have accepted for Sunday’s $250,000 Ladbrokes Hobart Cup, with four horses choosing not to accept for the race following Monday’s nominations.
Top-weight in the race will be carried by the Patrick Payne-trained Home by Midnight (pictured) who will be ridden by Billy Egan and carry 58kg. The winner of over $700,000 in career prizemoney, the seven-year-old gelding is looking for his first win on Australian soil with the majority of his successes coming in New Zealand.
When weights were released yesterday, last year’s third placegetter in the Queensland Cup Yogi was given 59kg but connections have chosen not to accept for the race.
The Ladbrokes Double Cup $100,000 bonus is on offer again this year for any horse that can win both the Hobart and Launceston Cups as Eastender did last year. That incentive has seen five of the 12 acceptors venturing across from the mainland including the powerful Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott stable who will likely have the early favourite Taikomochi when betting markets are released.
The final Cup field is below with weights raised by 0.5kg to ensure a top-weight of 58kg. The barrier draw takes place at Ladbrokes Park Elwick at 11:30am Wednesday.
1. Home By Midnight (NZ) (Patrick Payne) W J Egan 58.0
2. Taikomochi ( Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott) A Hyeronimus 57.5
3. Morton’s Fork (Richard Litt) D M Ganderton 56.5
4. Exoteric (GB) ( Charlie Goggin & Luella Meaburn) C Newitt 54.5
5. Toorak Affair (Michael Trinder) A Darmanin 54.0
6. He Ekscels (NZ) (Richard Laming) B McDougall 54.0
7. Appmat (Brendan McShane) Z Spain 54.0
8. Shady Hustle (Stephen Lockhart) B Muhcu 54.0
9. Dogmatic (Richard Laming) R Bayliss 54.0
10. Glass Warrior (John Blacker) Ms S M Carr 54.0
11. Gee Gee Fiorente ( Leon, Dean & Trent Wells) J M Winks 54.0
12. Kanji (Kaye Milne) M Ulucinar 54.0
Get your ticket’s for Sunday’s great 10-race program now.
(photo courtesy of racing and sports)