Race favourite Craiglea Deken will lead out a twelve horse field for the $75,000 Payne Print 2017 Mackay Cup (1800) at Ooralea Race Course in Mackay on Saturday.
Deconstructed, above, is one of 12 runners to line up in the 2017 Mackay Cup. Photo by Daniel Costello.
The Krystle Johnston trained Craiglea Deken has been lumped with 61kg and will jump from barrier eight with leading jockey Adrian Coome to continue his association with the gelding.
Craiglea Deken has won his last six starts with Coome in the saddle for four of them as well as combining for a win together at Townsville in January 2016.
The four year old is chasing his seventh win on the trot following five consecutive victories in Townsville since April followed by a last start win at Mackay in the $25,000 H.L. Black Memorial over 1560m on June 15.
The Tom Button trained Deconstructed is the only other runner not on the 54kg minimum with 54.5kg and will jump from barrier four.
Deconstructed hasn’t won since February when he took out a BenchMark 75 Handicap over 1350m at Doomben and is coming off a last start fourth to Colour Change in last week’s $100,000 Rockhampton Cup (1600m) at Callaghan Park in Rockhampton.
Fastnet Flyer, barrier seven, and Old Smokey, barrier nine, take on Craiglea Deken again after finishing second and third to him last start in the H.L. Black Memorial on June 15.
Mamselle Corday drew the inside gate and the Tony McMahon trained mare has been racing very consistently of late with a win and four placings from her last six starts and heads into the Mackay Cup on the back of a last start second to French Hussler in $25,000 Tattersall’s Gold Cup (1600m) at Rockhampton on June 10.
Toowoomba trainer Tony Sears will continue a North Queensland campaign with Palace Tycoon who drew barrier six in the Mackay Cup and will be ridden by Scott Galloway.
Palace Tycoon was a Toowoomba winner four starts back in a 1300m Class 4 on May 6 and goes into the Mackay Cup as a last start winner in a 1600m Class 6 at Rockhampton on June 22.
