MAKING Mayhem and Puccini will start favourites for the 2016 Millers Horsham Cup on Friday but last year’s winner Magic Consol will be nipping at their heels in an effort to go back-to-back.
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The seven-year-old gelding sprinted home in the cup last year to be the first locally trained horse to win the cup in 10 years.
It was a maiden Horsham Cup win for trainer Paul Preusker, who said there was plenty of good horses in the field this year.
“There’s plenty in it I reckon. Profit Share, Patch Adams,” he said.
“It’s a small field but it will still be a very strong race.”
Profit Share is one of two Darren Weir-trained horses in the race.
Horsham jockey Dean Yendall, fresh from running third in the Cox Plate, will ride Weir’s Hale Soriano.
Preusker said, looking at form, Magic Consol would go into the race in better condition than 2015.
“The horse loves the track. He’s had three goes on it that I know of for two wins and a second,” he said.
“The only I doubt I’ve got hanging over my head is that it’s run 12 for the prep.
“It’s done a huge job this horse to be competitive all the way through this season.
“To stand up and come again tomorrow, if he can, would be a huge effort for the horse.”
Horsham jockey Holly McKechnie said the focus had been on trying to get a win in Melbourne this season.
“Really this time we have been focused on winning one in Melbourne, but we weren’t quite able to achieve it,” she said.
“This would still be a great consolation prize.”
It is a consolation prize McKechnie would all too happily accept, having won the Horsham Cup five times previously.
“There’s nothing better than winning your hometown cup,” she said.
“It’s an exciting time and the whole community gets behind you. Any day with a crowd is great. The excitement and the adrenaline gets you pumping.”
Despite much of Magic Consul season’s focus being on trying to win elsewhere, McKechnie still thinks he will run well.
“He’s always a really good chance. He’s been very honest this preparation,” she said.
“He’s probably had a longer extended prep this year. If anything he’s probably on the way down versus being on the way up.”
When it came to talking race strategy McKechnie remained tight-lipped.
“That’s for me to know and everyone else to find out,” she said.
