STAWELL trainer Paul Jones is optimistic about horse Mujadale's chances in Saturday's $100,000 Port Adelaide Cup at Morphettville.
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The six-year-old gelding will start from barrier two in the 2500-metre race.
Mujadale has placed twice in his past three starts, including a third-place finish in the 2000-metre William Buck Plate at Caulfield at the weekend.
The gelding finished less than a length behind Escado, which will start from barrier three tomorrow.
Jones said Mujadale was in excellent form and stood as good a chance of winning as any other horse in the field.
"There are horses there in some reasonable form, but his form is comparable to theirs based on races he's run in and races they've run in," he said.
"He just needs to be ridden right, and if he gets a good ride he should be hard to beat.
"He doesn't have to lead, although from the barrier he's drawn he probably will be somewhere handy.
"If the race is run at a reasonable tempo he should be pretty competitive."
Mujadale raced against Darren Weir's Shiny Buttons at the Stawell Gold Cup at Donald in April.
Jones said the 2500-metre race would suit Mujadale.
"He's getting to his right trip now, and he ran a pretty reasonable race last year but it was his fourth run in 28 days and he was just coming to the end of it," he said.
"This year hopefully he'll produce one of his better runs."
Wimmera jockey Dean Yendall will also be part of tomorrow's feature race.
Yendall will ride Richard Jolly's mare Terrific Flair.
He has booked a ride in each race.
Telopea Downs trainer Daryl Dodson and Horsham jockey Holly
McKechnie will team up with Miss Joola in race three.
Stawell trainers Terry and Karina O'Sullivan have Koe in race eight.