John Zielke’s Toowoomba-trained galloper Dreams Aplenty is tipped as the one to beat in Saturday’s Sunshine Coast Cup 2018 field and odds.
Dreams Aplenty heads Saturday’s Sunshine Coast Cup 2018 betting markets. Photo: Ultimate Racing Photos.
Heading the Saturday racing action in Queensland, this year’s Listed $100,000 Sunshine Coast Cup (1400m) runs as Race 9 at 4:47pm (AEST) and has attracted a capacity field of 18 gallopers plus three emergencies.
The latest Sunshine Coast Cup betting markets on the bumper line-up at Ladbrokes.com.au are led by Dream Ahead four-year-old Dreams Aplenty at $4.80 who comes off a lead-up victory over 1350m at Ipswich on January 17.
Odds-on favourite in that after a trio of second place finishes in the spring, Dreams Aplenty comes back from 56kg that run to just 54kg in the Sunshine Coast Cup and gets the run of the race from barrier three.
The favourite also boasts a win and a second from two previous starts at the track, is a Group 3 winner and Group 2 placegetter plus has finished worse than second in just one of his previous seven starts over Saturday’s distance (7:3-3-0).
Occupying the second line of Sunshine Coast Cup betting this summer at $6.50 is then the 59.5kg top weight Most Important prepared by Brisbane’s Premiership leading horseman Tony Gollan.
Jim Byrne rides the son of I Am Invincible from gate 12 with the five-year-old out to improve on a lead-up fourth from mid-January in the $1 million Magic Millions Cup (1400m) at the Gold Coast.
Most Important, a two-time winner from three Sunshine Coast runs, was out wide in gate 14 for the Magic Millions Cup and remains a danger on Saturday despite another double-digit barrier and big weight.
There are three other Sunshine Coast Cup hopefuls under $10 for the win this Australia Day long weekend including Invinzabeel and I’m A Rippa at an equal $9.
Sydney’s Chris Waller saddles-up six-year-old Invinzabeel, who is now stabled at the Gold Coast, with the gelding looking to atone for his Magic Millions Cup 14th.
Waller is also represented in the Sunshine Coast Cup field by Torgersen right out in barrier 19 (into 17), the consistent Pins five-year-old at a generous price of $16.
Torgersen was last seen crossing just two lengths back fourth behind Care To Think at Doomben on December 30 in the Magic Millions The Buffering (1350m).
That followed three other top three efforts at Doomben including the second behind Most Important in the Listed Lough Neagh (1350m) in mid-December, form that can stack up on the weekend.
As for I’m A Rippa, apprentice Alannah Fancourt partners the Gollan-trained Love Conquers All four-year-old.
The in-form gelding has won two of his three latest starts including a lead-up victory in the Magic Millions QTIS (1300m) race at the Gold Coast a fortnight ago.
Gollan’s third Sunshine Coast Cup representative is then the rails-drawn Brazen Moss, a $21 outsider in the markets after a lead-up sixth in the Listed Bernborough Handicap (1600m) in Brisbane from late December.
The last of the single-figure fancies meanwhile and the early Sunshine Coast Cup betting market mover is Irish Constabulary ($13 into $9.50).
The Sunshine Coast-based training duo of John Symons & Shelia Laxon saddle-up the veteran nine-year-old son of Flying Spur who has the early of the punters to win for the first time since last July.
Something of a track specialist boasting three wins, a second and a third from his seven previous Sunshine Coast runs the gelding comes off an unplaced Gold Coast run in the Magic Millions Sprint (1200m).
Saturday is his first look at further than 1200m since the 2016 Glasshouse Handicap (1400m) and whether the old warhorse handles the step back-up in distance will be key to his chances.
See below for the full Sunshine Coast Cup 2018 field, barriers and latest racing odds courtesy of Ladbrokes.com.au.
