Flying Light will head up the final field of thirteen for the 2017 $75,000 Red Beret Hotel Cairns Cup (2100m) at Cannon Park in Cairns on Saturday.
The former Victorian trained five year old is a recent addition to the Townsville stables of Errol Sewell and has drawn barrier four with Rockhampton’s leading jockey Adrian Coome to ride.
Coome was aboard Flying Light for a last start third to Cairns Cup rival Chivadahlii in the $100,000 Mater Townsville Cup (2000m) at Cluden Park in Townsville on July 29 when prepared by Eagle Farm trainer Barry Baldiwn.
Flying Light began his career under the Lindsay Park banner and found the winner’s stall on four occasions before being purchased by prominent Townsville race horse owner Tom Sheahan who sent him to Brisbane to be trained by his long time associate Barry Baldwin.
The Exceed And Excel gelding was placed once from four starts for Baldwin before running third to Chivadahlii in the Townsville Cup.
Flying Light will carry 60kg top weight in the Cairns Cup and will meet Chivadahlii 2.5kg better at the weights after the Jamie McConachy trained six year old was allocated 57kg this Saturday after carrying 54.5kg to victory in the Townsville Cup.
Veteran New South Wales legend Robert Thompson takes over the reins on Chivadahlii from Townsville Cup winning jockey Bobby El-Issa and the Nothin’ Leica Dane gelding has drawn in close at barrier three.
Leading Cairns trainer Trevor Rowe will saddle up two runners in the Cairns Cup and is hoping for another home town victory after collecting the trophy with Chateau Dettori last year.
The Rowe trained Great Pretender has drawn one from the outside at barrier twelve with John Lambie to ride while Mukaddamah Son will jump from barrier nine for Shohei Kaya.
Great Pretender is stepping up in distance after winning over 1900m in a BenchMark 65 Handicap at Cannon Park last Saturday but Rowe is confident that the six year old will handle the 2100m.
“He (Great Pretender) is Cairns’ horse of the year, he has won six races here in the last 12 months,” Rowe told the Cairns Post.
“I think he will run the 2100m no worries.”
Final Field for the 2017 Cairns Cup (2100m)
# | Last 10 | Horse | Trainer | Jockey | Barrier | Weight | Hcp Rating |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 1106×35083 | FLYING LIGHT | Errol Sewell | Adrian Coome | 4 | 60kg | 89 |
2 | x732724211 | CHIVADAHLII | Jamie McConachy | Robert Thompson | 3 | 57kg | 84 |
3 | 09×3764176 | HOT SAGA | Fred Wieland | Graham Kliese | 8 | 55.5kg | 81.5 |
4 | 0x68x37237 | RANKED (IRE) | Alwyn Bailey | – | 11 | 54kg | 76 |
5 | x743457248 | MAJOR MAJOR | Roy Chillemi | Stephen Wilson | 2 | 54kg | 74.5 |
6 | 7×12225350 | GO BY RIO (NZ) | Errol Sewell | – | 6 | 54kg | 74 |
7 | x009500x40 | MUKADDAMAH SON | Trevor Rowe | Shohei Kaya | 9 | 54kg | 73 |
8 | 1536522241 | GREAT PRETENDER | Trevor Rowe | John Lambie | 12 | 54kg | 67 |
9 | 3453613488 | ALDREN | Cherrie Lindgren | Graham Watson | 1 | 54kg | 62 |
10 | 8254213001 | KHADIJA | Olivia Cairns | Ms Chelsea Jokic | 5 | 54kg | 62 |
11 | x660157995 | RAMSDEN STREET | Fred Wieland | Ms Amanda Thomson (a) | 13 | 54kg | 60 |
12 | 81288×5526 | THE LYNCHES | John Petersen | Justin P Stanley | 10 | 54kg | 58 |
13 | x354232275 | PINK STILETTO | Gareth Horner | Nor Yadi | 7 | 54kg | 44 |