Power Of Tara carries the hopes of WA in the BIG6 Hunter Cup
He might be a Kiwi now based in Western Australia, but the loudest BIG6 Hunter Cup cheer could be reserved for a Power Of Tara win.
The Greg Harper-trained gelding has been the subject of a good old-fashioned plunge and will make some punters very happy if he gets the job done in tomorrow night’s $400,000 Group 1 event at Moonee Valley.
The son of Live Or Die was a $201 chance when fixed odds betting opened on Australia’s richest handicap event, but quickly had his price slashed to $17 after constant early support.
He came into $7 with TAB Sportsbet after holding off proven Barastoc Grand Circuit performer Divisive to win the Group 1 Fremantle Cup on January 9.
Harper conceded the six-year-old’s task became infinitely harder when he drew barrier 11 – outside the second line – but he is thrilled with one of the stars of his Capel stable on the eve of the 3065-metre marathon.
“The horse is going as well as he’s ever gone,” he said. “He’s settled in well, he’s eaten well, he’s drunk well, everything’s good, it just comes back to the same thing and that’s the barrier.”
The starting position is the reason Power Of Tara, who will be driven by three-time Hunter Cup-winning reinsman Chris Alford, drifted to $12 after Tuesday’s barrier draw.
It’s a mark of Power Of Tara’s standing start ability that despite the horror alley, only I Am Sam ($3 fav), Changeover ($4.50) and Mr Feelgood ($8) are considered better chances for the 9.35pm feature.
Tomorrow night’s race will be just Power Of Tara’s seventh since being sent to Harper by his New Zealand owners. He has won his only five standing starts attempts for Harper, taking his record to 15 wins from 54 starts.
He won his first five for Harper – culminating with his Fremantle Cup win – before running eighth in the following week’s Western Australian Cup.
“He’s had six starts for me for five wins and he’s never led once, but in saying that he’s never been in this sort of field,” Harper said.
“He’ll run the distance, there’s no question about that because he’s a big strong sort of horse, it’s just that the barrier’s a real kick in the bum.
“But someone’s got to draw there and we were the unlucky ones who did.”
