The 2015 Toowoomba Cup field has been released and Gai Waterhouse-trained import Pornichet will contest the $100,000 event on Saturday.
Pornichet will have the chance to return to winning form in the 2015 Toowoomba Cup this weekend. Photo by: Steve Hart
Waterhouse was keen to run Pornichet in the Group 2 Hollindale Stakes (1800m) at the Gold Coast last Saturday, but the balloting conditions of the race meant that he was named as the third emergency and missed out on a start.
The leading Sydney trainer was forced to look further afield to give Pornichet a start before he contests the Group 1 Doomben Cup (2000m) next Saturday and she has elected to run him in the Toowoomba Cup with 60.5 kilograms on his back.
Pornichet (barrier ten) started his 2015 Sydney Autumn Racing Carnival campaign with two flat performances in the Group 3 Liverpool City Cup (1300m) at Warwick Farm on February 28 and the Group 2 Ajax Stakes (1500m) at Rosehill Gardens on March 14 before he returned to winning form in the Group 3 Neville Sellwood Stakes (2000m) at the same venue on March 28 and finished a more than credible fifth in the Group 1 Doncaster Mile (1600m) at Royal Randwick on April 6.
Another horse that has been included in the 2015 Toowoomba Cup field after missing out on a start in the Toowoomba Cup is Robert Heathcote-trained Hopfgarten.
Heathcote is keen to run Hopfgarten (barrier four) in the Doomben Cup and the Mossman gelding started his autumn preparation with a victory in the Canadian Club Handicap (1350m) at Doomben on March 28 before he finished second behind Sir Moments in the Listed Logic Tails Stakes (1630m) at the same venue on April 11.
Rounding out the trio that missed out on a start in the Hollindale Stakes is imported stayer Wish Come True, who will carry 54.5 kilograms in the $100,000 race on Saturday.
Wish Come True (barrier nine) has not recorded a race win since June last year, but he returned to the races with a close second in the Listed Kilmore Cup (1600m) on February 22 and he went on to perform well without winning in the Yarra Valley Cup (1950m) on March 15 and the Listed Mornington Cup (2400m) on March 28.
Volkhere (barrier seven), Hi Son (barrier two), Freton (barrier eight), Markout (barrier 12), Ongoing Venture (barrier three), Secret Garden (barrier five), Pop ‘N’ Scotch (barrier one), Supercoach (barrier six), Coup De’Etat (barrier 11) and Back To Abilene (barrier 13) round out the 2015 Toowoomba Cup field.
