Power Of Tara, pictured during his days in Western Australia, will carry local legend Brian Gath in Saturday night's Bendigo Cup
Hometown hero Brian Gath had to wait a while to win his first Bendigo Cup, but he is confident of a second victory in three seasons when the 2010 edition is run at Lord’s Raceway this Saturday night.
The 65-year-old from Longlea, who scored an unforgettable Bendigo Cup win aboard Safari two seasons ago, will drive the Tony Peacock-trained Power Of Tara in this year’s $50,000 Integrating Technology-sponsored feature.
“It took me a long time to win it and it took a champion for me to win it,” Gath said of his Bendigo Cup record.
“Safari was a great horse and it was a big relief to win a Bendigo Cup because everyone likes to win their home cup and I think this is one of the better chances I’ve had to win the Bendigo Cup.”
Gath will move to equal second on the list of Bendigo Cup-winning reinsman if successful this weekend.
Vin Knight is the only three-time winner of the race first run in 1965, with Ted Demmler, Stephen Dove and Chris Alford the only other reinsman to have won it more than once.
Power Of Tara should ensure Gath at least gets his chance to join the list of multiple winners.
The tough seven-year-old won the Launceston Cup on December 20 before a fifth, just six metres from winner Bettors Strike, in the Group 1 Tasmanian Cup seven days later at his last trip to the races.
His barrier (four) isn’t as good as Sammy Maguire (one) or Mister Swinger (two), but it’s preferable to the gates allocated to stablemate Ohoka Nevada (seven) and other top hopes Broadway Play (eight) and Mr Feelgood (11).
“He was very good in Tasmania and he’s had a couple of easy weeks since, so Tony will have him pretty right for this race,” Gath said.
“I’ll be heading forward, hoping to find the top and keep running, because he’s a strong-running horse who can keep peeling off even quarters and he doesn’t stop.”
The Integrating Technology Bendigo Cup, to be run at 9.30pm, is the headline act on a card that also includes the $20,000 Aldebaran Park Maori Mile.
A new race in honour of former champion trotter Maori’s Idol, the 1609-metre mobile has attracted a quality field headed by last-start Dullard Cup runner-up Acacia Ridge and South Australian Trotters Cup winner Solar Active.
