A diminutive six-horse field is engaged for the Gosford Gold Cup 2017 this Friday with half the final acceptors coming off a last-start win.
Red Excitement heads Friday’s 2017 Gosford Gold Cup field and weights. Photo: Steve Hart.
Due to jump as Gosford Race 5 at 3:50pm (AEDT), this summer’s $150,000 Listed Gosford Quarries Gosford Gold Cup (2100m) lacks the numbers of previous years but is still filled with classy gallopers.
Heading the Gosford Cup field and weights with 59kg is the Gerald Ryan-trained Red Excitement jumping from gate five withy Adam Hyeronimus aboard.
The in-form Excites seven-year-old has run top three in his four latest runs going back to early November, including a third to Sweet November in Rosehill’s Group 3 Festival Stakes (1500m) last month.
His lead-up run into Friday’s staying showdown was an impressive three length demolition job at Royal Randwick on Boxing Day in the Group 3 Summer Cup (2000m).
He goes up two kilos from his winning weight that day, but retains the same hoop and the winning margin suggests the extra 100m will be a non-issue in the Gosford Cup.
Following in the weights are fellow last-start winners Destiny’s Kiss (57.5kg) and Sense Of Occasion (57kg) drawn in barriers four and two respectively.
Joe Pride saddles-up Power Of Destiny eight-year-old Destiny’s Kiss who finished sixth in the Summer Cup two back.
He won Randwick races either side of that December 26 effort however with success in the wet in the Listed Christmas Cup (2400m) and victory on January 2 in the Listed Tattersall’s Cup (2400m) carrying 59kg.
Joshua Parr comes aboard for Friday’s match, while Damien Oliver takes over for Ben Melham in the saddle of the Kris Lees-trained Sense Of Occasion second-up.
In his resuming run the Street Sense six-year-old enjoyed a Group 2 victory on December 17 in the Villiers Stakes (1600m).
He goes up notably in distance from that mile success, but Sense Of Occasion boasts winning form up to 2400m and is a Group 1 performer so has the class and staying ability to head the Gosford Gold Cup results this season.
The rails run belongs to the John O’Shea-trained Malice, a six-year-old son of Teofilo who took out the Listed ATC Cup (2000m) two back.
Malice was last seen finishing fourth to Red Excitement beaten four lengths in the Summer Cup and gets in on the same 56.5kg weight in the rematch this week.
Rounding out the Gosford Gold Cup field are Foreign Prince and Loophole both on the 54kg minimum.
David Payne’s High Chaparral six-year-old Foreign Prince comes off a second in the Summer Cup, while the Chris Waller-trained Loophole is out to atone for his sixth at Flemington on New Year’s Day over 2000m.
See below for the full Gosford Gold Cup 2017 field, barriers, jockeys and weights then head to Ladbrokes.com.au for the best summer racing odds at the home of Odds Boost!
2017 Gosford Gold Cup Final Field & Barrier Draw
Gosford Race 5 (3:50pm) – 13/01/2017
| # | Form (Last 10) | Horse | Trainer | Jockey | Br. | Wgt. | H. Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 5052×61331 | RED EXCITEMENT | Gerald Ryan | Adam Hyeronimus | 5 | 59kg | 107 |
| 2 | 37×3874161 | DESTINY’S KISS | Joseph Pride | Joshua Parr | 4 | 57.5kg | 104 |
| 3 | 67641454×1 | SENSE OF OCCASION | Kris Lees | Damien Oliver | 2 | 57kg | 103 |
| 4 | 33434×3514 | MALICE | John O’Shea | James Doyle | 1 | 56.5kg | 102 |
| 5 | 981137×902 | FOREIGN PRINCE (NZ) | David Payne | Ms Deanne Panya (a) | 6 | 54kg | 95 |
| 6 | 532748×598 | LOOPHOLE (NZ) | Chris Waller | Glyn Schofield | 3 | 54kg | 86 |
