Cowra isn't a huge town but it has a strong racing tradition and that will continue in tomorrow's $70,000 XXXX Gold Dubbo Cup (1600m).
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Three of the 18 horses in the field are from the town and one of its favourite sons, Mathew Cahill, will be riding leading hope Juerga.
Amisere, Magic Puzzle and Rockley Unicorn will carry the hopes of the town in the race with Martin Whitely Cup (1400m) runner-up Amisere appearing to have the best chance.
A four-year-old gelding by Bite The Bullet (USA), Amisere is trained by Viv Miller who owns the horse in partnership with his wife Doreen and Cowra identities Bob, Gay and Bill Hilton.
Miller admitted to being shocked when he saw the weights and noticed he only had a half-kilo less than Juerga.
"Juerga looks like he is thrown in with 53.5kg, I thought he would get about 57," he said.
"But you have to be in it to win it and my horse has a better barrier this time around, so you never know.
"Juerga is probably the horse to beat because of his weight and while the top two (Daniel's The Man and Precise Timing) are very classy, they have their share of weight to carry."
Amisere, which is $13 in early markets for the race, has had 12 starts for five wins and four minor placings, with Miller saying he was unsure about the horse's chances at the mile.
"He had his first run at 1400m in the Martin Whitely Cup and had to do a bit of work so I was happy with his run," he said. "But you don't know unless you try and the horse is on the way up and anything can happen."
Narromine Cup (1600m) winner Rockley Unicorn is rated a $15 chance in the market but his run in the Martin Whitely Cup was tremendous.
After settling at the tail of the field, the Rob Cantrell-trained grey flashed home to finish fifth, just three lengths behind Juerga.
The step up in distance and a drop in weight ensures the horse has a great each-way chance.
Cowra's final representative will be Magic Puzzle, which finished third in the Martin Whitely Cup. The six-year-old, which is owned by well-known Cowra businessman Brian Witt and his wife Margaret, has been a model of consistency during its 25-start career, registering eight wins and six minor placings, with more than $50,000 in prize money.
At three of its last five starts, the Michael Jasprizza-trained gelding has finished close up behind Juerga, so the form around the horse is very good.
Miller believes all the Cowra horses are good each-way chances and believes it will be a big day for the town.
"It's good to have such a good representation of horses and with Mathew riding Juerga, the town has a good chance of taking something away from the race," he said.