WAUCHOPE Jockey Club is hoping for a big turnout for its Cup meeting at Port Macquarie on Sunday.
Managing secretary Debbie Prosser said she was hopeful of a good crowd, despite the fact the meeting would be held away from the club’s home track.
“We run our couple of bigger meetings at Port Macquarie as it means we can get TV coverage and TAB support,” Prosser said.
The eight-race program promises to be a big one, with more than 181 nominations through on Tuesday morning.
In the $27,000 Wauchope Cup (1506m), there are 27 noms.
Prosser’s son Colt has nominated Boulders for the feature race, but he’ll need luck to get a start in what is shaping up to be a competitive race.
Port Macquarie trainer Neil Godbolt has a chance of winning with Better Not Doubt.
He was an impressive winner on a bog surface Taree over 1400m earlier this month and should be improved by the run.
Local jockey Belinda Hodder had the six-year-old gelding at the back of the six-horse field before letting him unwind in the straight for an impressive win.
Better Not Doubt has won eight races and been placed 25 times in his 52 starts, winning almost $120,000 for a syndicate of local owners headed by Grant McKeand.
Six of those wins were in the wet, so Godbolt will be hoping for some more rain between now and Sunday.
There’s plenty of opposition to Better Not Doubt, though.
Gallopers from Gosford, Wyong, Tamworth, Coffs Harbour and the Hastings are among the strong nominations.
They include Brave Ali, a winner at Tamworth two starts back for trainer Craig Martin, Lucky Ima Cugat, third in the Country Cup at Scone for Broadmeadow trainer Steve Hodge, and Sandrio, a winner of the Gunnedah Cup for Cessnock trainer Robert Davies.
Twin Zero, from the Tamworth stable of Leon Davies, and Pins, which is trained at Coffs Harbour by Gordon Yorke, should also be competitive.
Port Macquarie trainer Jenny Graham is also hoping to get a start with recent dead-heater at Taree, four-year-old gelding Daymo, as is fellow Port trainer Ken Faulds with Cuban Dancer.
Meanwhile, Marc Quinn’s powerful sprinting mare Pentasia, which ran fifth in the listed Lightning Quality at Eagle Farm on Saturday, will go into the $150,000 Ramornie at Grafton on 10 July without another run.
Quinn told the Sydney Morning Herald he would give Pentasia a trial at Port Macquarie leading into the listed sprint.
“She’s going terrific. I can’t have her any better,” Quinn said.
