Warton hoping Gunbower trip ends in Bliss

Ash Warton has Modern Bliss (Modern Art) primed and ready for a tilt at the Gunbower Family Hotel Pacing Cup this Sunday (Dec 10).

The 34-year-old from Drysdale is confident in his ageing harness racing gelding.

“You know he’s 12 years old in three weeks’ time and I’m realistic with him, he’s probably in career best form now. He genuinely never runs a bad race,” Warton said.

“He has had five or six runs over the last couple of weeks, so he is going to be fine (over the 2630m trip).”

The pacer has drawn four alongside the Scott Garraway-trained Rio Rock and Warton is confident that his horse can cause a few headaches early.

“He’s got plenty of gate speed when he wants to and needs to use it. It’ll be whatever we decide on the day,” he said.

“It’s only a small field so we won’t be too far back anyway. If there is a genuine pace, he has got the legs and he should be there somewhere.”

Warton’s path to harness racing was paved by his family and a few connections within the industry.

“My father, he had a couple of horses and as a kid went and helped Jimmy O’Sullivan, Shannon’s Dad, and got my path into it,” he said.

“I went and worked with Kerryn (Manning) and then went to Clayton (Tonkin) and Emma’s (Stewart) from there.”

A Gunbower Cup would be a great achievement for Warton, who is closing in on 50 wins as a trainer.

“It would be nice to tick a country cup off the list,” he said.

The Gunbower Pacing Cup kicks off at 5.19pm, with the Cohuna Car Sales/ Bill Poxon Memorial Gunbower Trotters Cup is at 4.04pm.

For complete race entries, click here.

by Lachlan Mitchell, for Harness Racing Victoria