Dubbo pair Grass Cutter Top Magic will line up in Saturday’s main event at Orange, the Turfcare NSW Banjo Paterson Cup (1300m), but there are other runners from around the region who shape as real threats at Towac Park.
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Hometown hope Alison Smith leads the way with Dream Express while Bring A Secret and Ultima Chance will make the trips from Canberra and Goulburn respectively.
Dar Lunn will saddle up Grass Cutter, without a place in three starts this preparation, while Peter Nestor’s Top Magic makes his first start since a third in the Gilgandra Cup on New Year’s Day.
Another one shaping as a threat is a Mudgee-based runner which continues its path toward the Country Championships.
Trained by David Smith, Distinctive Look has already claimed two Highway Handicap wins in Sydney and another victory on Saturday would catapult the four-year-old into the Country Championships heat at Wellington on March 12.
A top two finish there would see the charge progress to the $400,00 final at Randwick in April.
That’s what Smith wants.
“He is going to be my best horse and has helped put my name out there,” he said of the gelding.
Distinctive Look already has a win to his name at Randwick and is no stranger to travelling to Sydney.
That history sets the gelding up well for a tilt at the huge Country Championshp prize, but first things first Smith wants to get Saturday’s race run and won.
“He has come on from his first-up run and is probably about 85 per cent fit now,” he said.
Smith, who also part-owns the horse, had to remain patient with Distinctive Look who the trainer said always had something special about him.
“He had a stifle operation and another on his throat,” Smith said.
“He hasn’t been an easy horse to train but ... I liked him and we were lucky enough to buy him before he was sold by Gooree Stud. (Another part-owner) Tash (Binns) rides him in work and he is coming along really well.”
The main race is 4.46pm at Saturday.