Irish import Pacodali is at short odds to keep his winning run going in the Group 3 $175,000 XXXX Gold Newcastle Gold Cup (2300m) at Newcastle on Friday.
Pacodali, above, is the favourite for the Newcastle Gold Cup at Newcastle. Photo by Ultimate Racing Photos.
The Darren Weir trained Pacodali is racing in top form with four wins from his last five starts and is looking for four straight coming off a last start win over 2016 Melbourne Cup victor Almandin in a 2040m Open Handicap at The Valley on August 26.
Bookies at Ladbrokes.com.au have Pacodali as the $2.80 favourite for the Newcastle Gold Cup and the five year old will be ridden again by Damian Lane from barrier eight.
Weir racing manager Jeremy Rogers said that Pacodali’s winning form suggests that he will be very hard to beat again stepping up to 2300m for the first time.
“He just keeps taking the next step, so hopefully he can do it again come Friday,” Rogers told the Newcastle Herald.
Pacodali has been allocated 55.5kg and will carry 3.5kg less than the top weight Destiny’s Kiss but his trainer Joe Pride is not worried by the 59kg.
“The step up to 2300 suits and this is the sort of profile of the races that he wins,” Pride said.
“He carries that 59 against the horses who aren’t as good as him down on the limit, he does that all the time.
“He’s basically giving the same horses he beat at Wyong the same weight, so the weight won’t beat him. Hopefully they take the sting out of the ground and he’ll be good.”
Destiny’s Kiss has drawn barrier three in the nine horse Newcastle Gold Cup field and will be ridden by Hugh Bowman who has been aboard the nine year old at his last two starts, including a last start win in the Listed $160,000 2017 Carlton Mid Wyong Gold Cup (2100m) at Wyong on September 1.
A win in the Newcastle Gold Cup would be a great start to the weekend for Bowman who is scheduled to ride super mare Winx on Saturday in the Group 1 $500,000 Colgate Optic White Stakes (George Main Stakes) (1600m) at Randwick .
Wyong Gold Cup runner up Sayed is the second pick at $3 for the Newcastle Gold Cup with Destiny’s Kiss on the third line of betting $7.50.
