Mystical Warrior is back for another shot at Echuca Cup glory
Mystical Warrior won’t be at peak fitness for Sunday night’s $25,000 Alabar Echuca Pacing Cup, but Undera trainer Glenn Freeman will give the gelding his chance to go a couple of spots better than last year.
The capable seven-year-old is the closest thing to a local Echuca fans have in this year’s 2530-metre discretionary handicap and Freeman would dearly love to give them something to cheer about.
“He ran third to Wideford Hill in it last year, so it’s good just to have him in it again,” Freeman said.
“It’s only 30 minutes up the road and it’s good to try and have a runner in the local cup.”
Mystical Warrior has only won once since last year’s Echuca Cup, but he also ran second in the Gunbower Cup and is a past winner of the Boort Cup, both standing start events.
In all the son of Totally Ruthless has raced 54 times, for 17 wins and 14 minor placings, for $106,000 in stakes.
Freeman warned that Mystical Warrior won’t be at peak fitness given his Tabcorp Park seventh on January 8 was his first run for more than four months, but the barrier draw has given him his chance.
While he will start from the second-widest starting position on the front line (five), the likely favourites prior to the draw fared even worse.
Classy mare Dazed And Confused is outside of the front row, defending champion Wideford Hill has barrier eight and rejuvenated Tony Peacock-trained gelding Just Wal outside the back row (12).
Miss Laura Jane, a last-start third to Mendelico and Gilt Bromac in sizzling time at Tabcorp Park, fared best of the leading contenders at the draw and will start from barrier four.
“It’s just nice field and any one of them can win it,” Freeman said. “Hopefully we can just begin well and find a spot somewhere along the fence and see what happens.
“He takes a fair while to come up and he needed the run a fair bit last week, but he should improve a lot off that.”
Chris Alford takes the reins aboard Mystical Warrior in the Alabar Echuca Cup, which is the penultimate event on Sunday’s twilight card and will be run at 8.35pm.
The meeting’s main support event is a competitive Laser Electrical Echuca Moama Trotters Cup, which is race two and will be run at 6.17pm.
