Local trainer Garry Frazer is hoping Campania can produce a home town victory in the Listed $100,000 XXXX Gold Hawkesbury Rowley Mile (1600m) at Hawkesbury today.
Campania, white colours, white cap, has a great chance to produce a home town victory in the Rowley Mile at Hawkesbury. Photo by Steve Hart.
Campania was only entered for the Rowley Mile when the Hawkesbury Race Club extended nominations when only six horses were in the original noms.
Only seven runners will compete after Uncle Sugar was a race morning scratching from the final field of eight after finishing sixth in a BenchMark 70 Handicap (1550m) at Canterbury yesterday.
Frazer had planned to run Campania at Rosehill again last Saturday after the mare won a 1900m BenchMark 85 Handicap on August 1 but she now has a real chance to keep the Rowley Mile Trophy in home territory.
“This race was an afterthought,” Frazer told Racing NSW News.
“She was to have run at Rosehill last Saturday, but we changed our minds when nominations for the Rowley Mile were extended.
“I couldn’t believe there were only six original entries. It’s always good to support your own club whenever possible and, besides, this is a terrific chance to get some black-type with Campania.”
Campania will be taking on the Gai Waterhouse trained Sydney Cup winner The Offer and Chris Waller’s Rugged Cross who three starts back won the Listed $100,000 Sydney Markets Limited Winter Stakes (1400m) at Rosehill.
The Offer hasn’t been back to the winner’s stall since winning the 2014 Group 1 $1m Schweppes Sydney Cup (3200m) at Randwick and Waterhouse is using the Rowley Mile as the starting point for his 2015 Melbourne Cup campaign.
Waterhouse wintered The Offer in Queensland, giving the Irish import one run in the Sunshine State for an eighth to Addictive Habit in the Listed $100,000 Southbank Insurance Brokers Handicap (1800m) at the Gold Coast on June 20.
Last start Canterbury winner Dragon Flyer has been installed the $3.70 favourite with Ladbrokes.com.au and the John Thompson trained gelding will be ridden by Kerrin McEvoy.
Rugged Cross is next in the market order at $4.80 while Campania is sharing the third line of betting at $5 with The Offer.
The rest of the Rowley Mile market order has locals Footy Fan at $6, Vite Loni at $7.50, and Color Purple the outsider of the field at $61.
