It’s a new look Australian Pacing Gold Grand Circuit season.
And the 2021 season starts this weekend.
The seven-leg series takes in open class racing from across the three east coast states of Australia plus both islands of New Zealand, the Hunter Cup starts the season while the Auckland Cup closes the year being staged on New Year’s Eve.
The Gr.1 $500,000 Del-Re National A.G. Hunter Cup will take place this Saturday night at TABCORP Park, Melton and naturally, it’s drawn together an excellent field headed by star performers and reigning Grand Circuit champion King Of Swing and local ace Lochinvar Art.
King Of Swing, trained in Sydney by Belinda and Luke McCarthy, is the defending Hunter Cup Champion after scoring last year when handled by Gary Hall Jnr but enters this year’s edition in brilliant form after winning his past five starts.
The Rocknroll Hanover entire scored last weekend at his home track of Menangle while he was the recent winner of the Grand Circuit feature in Queensland, the Blacks A Fake on December 12 at Albion Park.
In 2020, King Of Swing won the Hunter Cup, Miracle Mile and Blacks A Fake while amassing more than $1 million in stakes for the term.
Lochinvar Art, trained and driven by David Moran, is a winner of both the Shepparton and Ballarat Cups at his past two starts is looking to add the Hunter Cup trophy to his collection after claiming the Victoria Cup back in October.
On that occasion, Lochinvar Art beat King Of Swing.
In the head-to-head battle, King Of Swing holds a 2-1 advantage over his younger rival but in their most recent clash, the Victoria Cup, Lochinvar Art claimed an emphatic victory.
But both pacers will need to overcome second line draws if they are to claim the 2760m mobile start feature.
King Of Swing will start from gate 12 (five off the second-line) while Lochinvar Art will run from gate 9 (two off the second-line).
Luke McCarthy won the 2017 Hunter Cup aboard Bling It On while Moran is only having his second drive in the feature staying event following his unplaced effort last year with Lochinvar Art behind King Of Swing.
The McCarthy stable is also represented by former New Zealand pacers Alta Orlando (gate 2) and Star Galleria (gate 10), both boast solid recent form and will be given hope of upstaging the headline act.
Leading trainers Emma Stewart and Clayton Tonkin will have three runners represent their stable including Fourbigmen (gate 4), Somewhere Secret (gate 7) and Out To Play (gate 8 – inside of second-line).
The trio boast excellent credentials with Fourbigmen being a recent winner of the Hamilton Cup.
The dominant training duo are yet to get their hands on a Hunter Cup trophy.
Bathurst pacer Our Uncle Sam is hoping its case of third time lucky when he lines up this weekend, the Chris Frisby trained star has been a runner-up in past two editions after chasing home King Of Swing last year and Tiger Tara in 2019.
The Sportswriter gelding will start from gate 6.
Hunter Cup legend Anthony Butt is chasing his eighth victory in the Garden State feature and prepares in partnership with Sonya Smith the richly talented Wolf Stride (gate 11).
The emerging star produced an unbelievable effort last start when third behind Lochinvar Art and Out To Play in the Ballarat Cup two weeks ago.
New Zealand pacer Triple Eight returns to Australia and will again attempt to win the feature after finishing unplaced last year behind King Of Swing, this time he has landed the coveted inside draw (gate 1).
The American Ideal gelding has only started twice on Australian soil and was unplaced in both efforts – fourth in the Casey Classic before finishing 9th in the Hunter Cup the following week.
Triple Eight is in the care of Steve and Amanda Telfer with Greg Sugars to drive.
Last week’s Casey Classic winner Bettor Be The Bomb takes his place for trainer Basil Dooley and driver Jack Laugher, the in-form gelding will start from gate 5 while the horse who was runner-up to him last week, Malcolms Rhythm must overcome gate 13 (the outside of the second-line).
Prepared by David Aiken, Malcoms Rhythm is only having his fourth run back from an injury enforced layoff.
Sirletic (gate 3) has unluckily been named the emergency for the race.
With maximum points up for grabs, connections will be keen to consolidate their position on the leaderboard quickly.
Points are awarded during the Circuit, 100 points for a win, 60 points for second, 40 points for third, and so on, to last placing.
The A.G Hunter Cup is race 7 on the program and listed to start at 9.15pm local time.
