Tanabi Bromac is one of many big names tackling Sunday's Horsham Cup
The BIG6 Hunter Cup ballot exemption that accompanies Sunday’s $50,000 Group 2 Wimmera Mail-Times Horsham Pacing Cup has enticed Keith Cotchin west with Tanabi Bromac.
A last-start second to Bettors Strike in the Tasmania Cup at his standing start debut convinced the Elmore trainer to persist with BIG6 Hunter Cup plans with the five-year-old, making Sunday’s 2700-metre handicap irresistible.
“I thought it would be a nice race for him seeing as he handled the stand so well in Tassie and it does make a big difference when you think you could get straight into the Hunter Cup (if he wins),” Cotchin said.
“There are a lot of nice horses trying to get a spot in that race, so it would take a lot of pressure off if he could win and go straight in.”
The 2008 Alabar Victoria Derby champion is one of many horses hoping to force their way into the Hunter Cup, to be run at the Farewell To Moonee Valley meeting on February 6, via the Horsham feature.
Defending champion and last week’s Ararat Cup winner I Am Sam, Chariots Of Fire champ Maffioso and Tasmania Cup third placegetter Notaswethort are other talented types also hoping to secure the ballot exemption.
With a standing start attempt and eight runs now under his belt this campaign, Cotchin is confident Tanabi Bromac can snap a 10-race winning drought at Horsham.
“It’s taken a while to get him back to a good fitness level, but on his trackwork and heart-rates he’s just starting to get to the point where he’s showing me he’s a lot better in himself, so there’s still improvement in him,” he said.
“If we got away like we did in Tasmania we should be up in the first two or three and it could be catch me if you can from there.”
Tanabi Bromac, who will be driven by four-time Horsham Cup-winning reinsman Gavin Lang, has drawn barrier six but will come into five if emergency Lombo Alliance (three) doesn’t get a run.
Among his fellow front-line rivals are Cobram Cup runner-up Tear It All Away (four) and Maffioso (five).
Notaswethort (eight), the capable Ohoka Utah (10) and Johnorama (11) are among those off the second row, while 20-metre marker I Am Sam is the lone horse off a handicap.
The Wimmera Mail-Times Horsham Pacing Cup is the penultimate event on the eight-race twilight card and will be decided at 7.47pm.
It follows the night’s co-feature, the $10,000 Conch Deville Horsham Trotters Cup at 7.20pm, in which the Michael Calaz-trained Gentlemans Honour is the likely favourite.
