Gundown sets his sights on Auckland Cup

[Chief Stipe]

Gundown threw his hat in the ring for next Saturday’s Barfoot & Thompson Auckland Cup with an impressive staying performance in the Headquarters Viaduct Nathans Memorial at Ellerslie today.

In the familiar colours of Lib Petagna’s JML Bloodstock, Matt Cameron brought the four-year-old with a prodigious run down the outside to down his stablemate Zacada by a length and half.

Despite that being just his third win from 17 starts, the High Chaparral gelding is now on the fourth line of betting for the Auckland Cup at $8 behind $3.50 favourite Charles Road, Glory Days at $4.50 and Five To Midnight at $6.50.

“He’s always had the makings of a decent stayer and he’s getting it together now,” co-trainer Murray Baker said. “After that performance he deserves his chance next week.

“He won off the minimum and under the conditions he’ll go up two kilograms in the Auckland Cup, so he’ll have to lift his game another notch, but I did like the way he rounded them up.

“I don’t think the two miles will hold an fears for him,” said Baker, who added that Cameron will retain the ride.

Baker was also happy with the effort by Zacada to finish second, backing up from his fresh-up sixth over 2000 metres at Matamata last week. Last year’s Sydney Cup runner-up burst between runners with what looked the winning run until Gundown appeared out wide, but it was still a very encouraging run ahead of another Sydney campaign.

“We ran out of time to get him ready for the Auckland Cup, but that was good to see with Sydney coming up,” Baker said. “He’ll run next in a 2600-metre race at Rosehill, then there’s another race over the same distance at Randwick ahead of the Sydney Cup.”

The Lisa Latta-trained Kamanda Lincoln shaped as a handy Auckland Cup second stringer behind his stablemate Five To Midnight, taking third place ahead of Artiste, a stablemate of the quinella pair.

 

 

 

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