Field set for Murray Bridge Straight Track Cup Final
A competitive field is locked in for the final of the 2023 Weblec Ace & Mepunga Blazer at Stud Straight Track Cup Final next Tuesday afternoon.
Five heats were run at Murray Bridge on Tuesday with a few surprise results ensuring that the final looms as a wide-open affair.
Cash On Delivery will be one of the favourites in next Tuesday’s final after producing an excellent run of 19.37 in the final heat of the day to secure its place.
Speaking after the race on Thursday, trainer Ashlee Griffiths said that she was pleased with the run despite not drawing ideally in box two.
“I was happy with the run, we didn’t really like the draw we would have preferred out wide,” Griffiths said at Murray Bridge on Tuesday.
“He pinged the lids and that’s what we were hoping he could do today, and he cleared them all to get where he wanted and he was able to run his race.”
Cash On Delivery has drawn box eight in next week’s final and Griffiths said that it is an ideal draw for her chaser.
“That is where we wanted,” she said.
“Just so he can stay straight and avoid any trouble and hopefully he can stay out the way and run his own race.”
Aston Ziebell looms as one of the biggest threats to Cash On Delivery and has drawn alongside it in box seven in the final.
The David Peckham trained chaser produced the fastest time in the five heats winning from box six in a time of 19.30 beating Lot of Poise who also qualified for the final as one of the three fastest second-placed finishers.
The opening two heats saw a couple of surprising results with Paxton Dutton upsetting He’s On Fire and interstater Aston Scorcher.
The Nathan Goodenough trained runner entered the race on the back of an impressive win down the straight in his last start and jumped fairly before powering away from its rivals to win in a slick time of 19.56.
Heat two saw another upset with Federal Outlaw holding off Taylor Toves to book its place in the final, winning in 19.69.
The Ben Rawlings trainer runner jumped fairly but eventually pushed past Mo Slater before holding off Taylor Toves who recovered from an early check to finish second.
Heat three saw the Bosko Stamenkovic trained So Be It book its place in the final, winning in a time of 19.41.
Jumping from box eight, So Be It claimed an early lead and beat home 2021 winner of the event Aston Olenn who also progressed to next week's final.
The 2023 Weblec Ace & Mepunga Blazer at Stud Straight Track Cup Final will be held next Tuesday afternoon at Murray Bridge.