Local harness racing participants are eyeing off potential glory in Saturday night's $50,000 Cranbourne Gold Cup.
Clancys Fobwatch and Mister Wickham tackle a strong field of visitors heading across town for the feature race, one of the highlights of the year for Gippsland harness racing.
Eight-year-old grey gelding Clancys Fobwatch is trained outside the Gippsland region by Adam Kelly but owner/breeders, father and daughter John and Kylee Paull, are from Gippsland and have been enjoying a great deal of success with their horse in recent starts.
Clancys Fobwatch stormed home to win the Charlton Pacing Cup last weekend, after winning the feature Pure Steel race at Melton at his previous run.
From 111 starts, Clancys Fobwatch has recorded 24 wins and 19 minor placings, and, with his recent run of good form, is a strong chance of another feature race success this weekend.
Mister Wickham, prepared for a large syndicate of owners by Longwarry horseman Lee Evison, has recorded just the one victory from his last seven starts, but hasn't had a lot of luck in recent races, and is a proven competitor at the top level.
He finished second in the Bendigo Pacing Cup and was just behind the placegetters in the Ballarat Pacing Cup last month, and will appreciate the big track and long straight at Cranbourne this weekend.
Mister Wickham won last year's Warragul Pacing Cup, and is on target to attempt a second victory in that race on April 1 – a feat never achieved in the 59-year history of that race.
The history books also show that only two pacers have collected the Cranbourne/Warragul Cup double – they being The Unicorn 25 years ago, and Grand Crown back in the mid 1970's.
Clancys Fobwatch should also compete in the Warragul Cup, which will add a genuine local flavour to the race for the large crowd expected to attend.
Saturday night's Cranbourne Pacing Cup is the 45th edition of the event, and the last local winner of the event was champion mare Tailamade Lombo in 2000.
Kyle Galley