By Brad Kingsbury
EXCITEMENT is rising in district horse racing circles as the buildup to the Pakenham Cup meeting begins in earnest with this Sunday’s transferred Cranbourne Turf Club meeting at the Racecourse Road circuit.
Several locally based trainers are expected to target their hometown cup to be run on Sunday, 4 March, and the husbandandwife team of Brian and Gayle Rowe have already confirmed that they are setting their honest mare Celtic Rise for its third tilt at the $100,000 feature race.
The Rowes won the 2005 Bon Hoysted Apprentices Cup with Celtic Rise and then saddled her to run third in her first Pakenham Cup two weeks later.
Last year Celtic Rise was forced to set the pace in the 1750metre cup after drawing a wide gate and weakened to finish outside the placings.
This Sunday’s meeting will be headlined by a $35,000 Pakenham Cup prelude with the winner exempt from ballot conditions for this year’s cup.
The Pakenham Racing Club will backup five days later on Friday, 16 February, with its annual Members’ Day race meeting, highlighted by the running of the timehonoured Bon Hoysted Apprentices Cup.
Andrew Malyon won last year’s Apprentices Cup on Colin Alderson’s galloper Bonython and the race has a great history, having been won by jockeys who have gone on to become industry leaders.
The annual Members’ Day also recognises the importance of the support of club members with all members invited to attend a raceday function that includes complimentary food and beverages from 3pm until the last race.
The club is also extending an offer to new members.
For $88, each person will receive a membership for the remainder of this season, plus full membership for the 2007/08 season.
Leading up to the Pakenham Cup, this represents excellent value and for more details contact Michelle Tones on 5941 1207.
