Wedderburn Cup next target for Harryhoo

A last start win for HarryHoo (Sportswriter) has harness racing trainer Brent Curran itching to target a few more country cups before a trip to Melton.

The seven-year-old zipped up the fence to win at $9 with Michelle Phillips in the cart on Ballarat Cup night.

“He seems to have pulled up pretty well,” Curran said. “He just got a dream run on the fence and it opened up nicely for him and he sort of didn’t have to spend too much in the race.”

The gelding out of Guessing will target Sunday’s Loddon Shire Wedderburn Pacing Cup before setting a course for a few more of the country features.

“Wedderburn was always on the radar for me,” he said. “I am from Charlton originally and I do like the idea of going to Wedderburn, Charlton and Boort again.”

Harryhoo took out last year’s Boort Cup and just missed the placings at Charlton finishing fourth.

“There wasn’t much around for him in the next couple of weeks in his class,” he said. “There was maybe the Cranbourne Cup – Wedderburn Cup is close to home and it looked really appealing for him.

“In his class he would have to go back to Melton in February for sure.”

The winner of 12 races from 72 starts has drawn five for the $15,000 event with James Herbertson set to drive.

“It is better than six,” he said. “I thought we were going to draw the fence maybe seven or eight – he has got gate speed, but it is a long trip, so we won’t use too much early.

“I was going to use Chris Alford, but he is in Cranbourne and James is available so why not use the leading driver in the country.”

The Joe Thompson-trained Cee Cee In America has drawn one with the undefeated in Australia, the Adam Kelly-trained Raging Whitebait sitting in six.

The trotting feature on the card is the Reeves Earthmoving Wedderburn Trotters Cup. The Donna Castles trained and driven, BerriesandCherries will start off the furthest back handicap of 20m.

For complete race entries, click here.

by Lachlan Mitchell, for Harness Racing Victoria