By STEPHEN SENISE
Pic: Last year’s Murwillumbah Cup Prelude winner Castlemagne King. Picture Dan Costello.
THE first leg of the Murwillumbah Cup carnival kicks-off on Sunday when the Tweed River Jockey Club hosts one of its most important meetings of the year, the Murwillumbah Cup Prelude race day.
The meeting will feature two big races, the 1800m Murwillumbah Cup Prelude and the 1200m Tursa Newmarket Handicap Prelude.
The respective winners of those events will secure a berth for the $33,250 Murwillumbah Cup (2000m) and the $23,150 Newmarket handicap (1200m) due 23 June.
Last year’s winner Castlemagne King is also an automatic qualifier if connections choose to run him. Castlemagne King recently blitzed his rivals second-up over 1900m at Taree scoring by 3.5 lengths suggesting a defence of his cup-crown may just be enough to entice trainer Basil Ryan to make the trip up the coast from his Coffs Harbour base.
The Murwillumbah track had received 22mm of rain for the month of May to Friday 24.
For Murwillumbah Cup carnival sponsorship and marquee options please contact TRJC secretary-manager Rachael Elliott on 02 6672 2671
