THEY'RE coming from far and wide to contest the $32,000 2021 Parkes Services Club Parkes Cup this Sunday afternoon, with a 12 horse field (and two emergencies) set to contest the 126th running of the event, which is run over 1600 metres.
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Trainers from Scone, Albury, Sydney and Canberra are all making the trek to Parkes for the $16,200 prize for first place, while prominent Central West trainers like Kody Nestor and Michael Mulholland also have runners engaged in the race.
The topweight in the Cup is the Hit The Target with 62kg, and after drawing Barrier 4 the six-year-old gelding is certainly a chance to add to her career prizemoney of $223,210.
Trained in Scone by Stephen Jones, the gelding has had two trial wins since March 31, and also won a Benchmark 68 race in Newcastle on April 10 with jockey Matthew Palmer aboard.
Palmer is engaged again, and the weight should not be a problem - particularly if the track is a good as it is expected to be.
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Gulgong trainer Brett Thompson should be reasonably pleased with Barrier 4 for his striking grey mare Amy's Shadow, with the talented four-year-old expected to settle early and race in the back half of the field.
The sprint feature of the meeting is the 1200m Whitney Welding and Bobcat Hire Satellite Handicap, which will see an open field of 14 battle it out for a share of $27,000.
Thompson gelding Kookabaa is the class horse of the field, with the six-year-old winning four from 10 since transferring to Thompson's stable.
He's been up against some pretty handy horses in Sydney over his career.
Topweight Superhard is the intriguing prospect in this race; he's placed in Listed company in Victoria and just a few months ago was up against star Group 1 winner Behemoth in the $100,000 Durbridge Stakes.
The very experienced Demonstrate has drawn Barrier 6 for Canberra trainer Garry Kirkup, and though he doesn't tend to win out of turn these days he's always a threat at healthy each-way odds - but the chances don't end there.
Parkes trainer Sharon Jeffries has six horses engaged in the meeting, three of which are fresh off wins in the past month.
In last January's meeting here in Parkes, her bargain gelding Coulpa brought the house down when he climbed off the canvas to win a Benchmark 58 and the punters trackside on Sunday will be hoping for much of the same.
Gates will open at 12pm and patrons are reminded that there are no EFTPOS facilities available on course.
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