Republican Party heading home after big Hunter Cup run

[Wandering Eyes]

By Adam Hamilton 

Auckland Cup winner Republican Party is heading home after his fantastic third in the Hunter Cup.

But compatriots Tact McLeod and Don’t Stop Dreaming will stay in Victoria to clash with Leap To Fame again in next Saturday night’s $100,000 Group 2 Cranbourne Cup.

Trainer Cran Dalgety also planned to tackle Cranbourne, but admitted Republican Party “certainly felt” his brave and close-up third to Swayzee and Leap To Fame in record smashing time.

“It’s really the first time in his career he’s pulled-up a bit shagged, as though he really knew he had a run,” he said. 

“He’s come a long way in the past six months or so and we’ll focus on getting him primed for the Race by Betcha now.”

Republican Party charged home from three pegs to a head and half-neck behind the two best pacers in this part of the world.

“Carter felt he could’ve gotten even closer, but hey I say a close third in a Hunter Cup behind those two is a win in itself and should be celebrated,” Dalgety said.

“He’s always been five or 10 per cent below the big guns, but showed he’d improved and was up with the best Kiwis and now he’s run that well, albeit after being on the marker pegs, behind the best in Australasia.”

Longer term, Dalgety said a return to Australia for the enhanced Brisbane Inter Dominion in July was a strong possibility.

“It’s an attractive option now it’s in July, down to just two rounds of heats and the prize money has gone up,” he said.

“It’s something we’ll look a lot more seriously at after the Cambridge race.”

Caretaker trainer and driver Anthony Butt was thrilled with Tact McLeod’s close fourth, beaten about a metre, in the Hunter Cup.

“He went super. They’re bloody great horses to try and get past,” he said.

“He seems to have pulled-up great so we’ll more than likely go to Cranbourne.”

Don’t Stop Dreaming only ran seventh, but he smashed the clock for his last 1000m after making ground a mile back and out very wide for the last 400m to be beaten just 7.1 metres.

“It was a fantastic run, both he and Oscar (Bonavena) will be good to go to Cranbourne,” he said.

Oscar Bonavena followed a solid third in his Great Southern Star heat with a disappointing sixth in the final after a good trail.

Driver and co-trainer Mark Purdon said the star veteran was a bit fresh in the heat and felt like he ran out of condition in the closing stages of the final.

“Those runs will bring him on for what’s ahead,” he said.

The $100,000 Group 1 Hammerhead Mile on Miracle Mile (March 8) night is a major target.

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