She’s Tough trying for an unusual Cup double

She’s Tough (He’s Watching) has a chance to pull off a very unusual harness racing double this weekend.

The Brad Mowbray-trained eight-year-old was an upset winner of the Waimate Cup at Oamaru in March and lines up again in the same race at Timaru this Sunday (4.13pm).

“Two Waimate Cups in the one year and in different places too,” laughs Mowbray, “they’re mixing it up for us.”

The Waimate Trotting Club only hosts one meeting a year and the two Cups in just seven months has come about because of a change of dates for that meeting – from March to October.

In March she paid $32 on the grass at Oamaru. She was 12/12 in the betting in a 16-strong field.

MARCH WIN

On Sunday she’ll start off 20 metres in a big wide open field at Timaru over 2850 metres, featuring the likes of Sideshow Bruce, Akaroa Cup winner Kiss The Girls and Radha, who is fresh up after looking good at the trials.

So is Mowbray confident of a repeat Cup-winning performance?

“Is wouldn’t say confident. I am hopeful,” he says, “we’d be confident of a first four showing anyway.”

As well as She’s Tough there are seven other horses who raced in the Cup in march – Tanzania, Hacksaw Ridge, Radha, Bucksin, Got You Covered, Homebush Lad and Bryce’s Meddle.

To be driven by Jonny Cox, She’s Tough’s last start was a 12th in the Akaroa Cup two weeks ago.

“She should be fitter for that and hopefully in a smaller field she’ll get a cushy run and a drag into it,” says Mowbray.

Settling back and running on is She’s Tough’s usual racing pattern. She is also a grass track specialist – all 10 of her wins have been on the surface.

“I couldn’t tell you why, I’m not entirely sure” says Mowbray, “she works well at home and trials good on the grit but for one reason or another she saves her best for the grass.”

Mowbray will line up three runners on the day with She’s Tough being joined by Impressive Shard in Race 1, the Waimate TC Supports Horse Ambulance Trust Mobile Pace (11.50am) and Ultimate Perfection in Race 8, the RJB Ltd Mobile Pace (3.37pm).

“The one in the first just needs a good run and she should be in the top four while the other one won his last start but has drawn one the second row and we will have to play it by ear.”

To see the Waimate Cup field click here

By Dave Di Somma, Harness News Desk