Guy Chapple chasing Golden Guitar double

Chapple will be among several Hunter trainers and drivers making the trip for five heats to decide the field for next week's $30,000 final.

Yoha, trained by Chapple's son, Mitch, looks one of the top hopes in the series after winning easily at the track first-up last week. The Kiwi mare had won four of eight starts for the Chapples before the return run and Guy expected her to find the front from gate four in heat two.

"She'll be hard to beat," he said. "She had her first-up run last week after a blow and she went really well.

"We had targetted her for the Inter City Pace but it was pushed back to April, so we moved on to this one.

"She's probably not far off being spot on, but she probably just didn't handle the track 100 per cent the other day. But I think she'll be right. She's one of the best horse I've had."

He also drives Our Madiba, a winner twice in his past three starts, in heat four for Singleton trainer Aaron Goadsby.

"It's been flying lately, and it gets around the track well and should get a nice run through from that [second-line] draw [behind Ticktockpocketwatch]," he said.

The Chapples also have Roclea Ruler in the Starmaker Prelude.

Craig Kerry

Reprinted with permission of the Newcastle Herald