Captain Hammerhead. Photo by Brett Atkins
The Riverina Paceway will play host to three features races this Saturday night with the finals of the $100,000 Riverina Championships and the $20,000 Yirribee Stud Wagga Pacers Cup to be run.
Last year’s mares’ championship runner-up Eye Keep Smiling appeared dominant in her win in Tuesday night’s Prelude and despite having to start from the outside of the second-row in the final, is no doubt the one to beat again.
The Luke McCarthy trained and reined five-year-old worked forward to take the lead on and was always in control as she cruised to victory to record her 20th win from just 31 race starts.
If she is able to take out Saturday night’s final, her earnings will surpass the half million-dollar mark.
The entires and geldings’ division is certainly a much harder contest following strong heats wins by the James Rattray-prepared Nyack and David Moran’s Captain Hammerhead with the final shaping to be a two-horse war.
The performances by Nyack and Captain Hammerhead were in complete contrast with Nyack sitting well back in the running line and producing a barnstorming finish to blouse his rivals, rating 1:53.9 while Captain Hammerhead bullied his opponents from the outside the leader, pouring on the pressure over the last 800 metres on the way to an impressive victory.
Moran was pleased with the way his pacer performed following a short break away from the track, and says his charge is ready to produce another strong effort.
“It was a creditable return from him in the qualifier, I just allowed him to do what he had to do from the chair to ensure he made the final,” said Moran.
“His first few runs back from a spell are always his best, so hopefully he can back up that strong effort from Tuesday.
“The other heat winner Nyack will be our biggest danger, his finishing burst the other night was electric and if he is close enough, I am sure he will be charging at us late.”
The Wagga Pacers Cup has drawn together an extremely evenly graded field headed by the Rattray-trained Boom but on paper, it is anyone’s race.
The six supporting races are strong and the Wagga Club is expecting a big Easter Saturday night crowd with gates to the Riverina Paceway opening at 4:30pm.
