Britton's Time To ‘Shine' In Townsville Cup

JEFF Britton has settled in well to the laid–back lifestyle of Townsville and says his two runners in the Group 2 Townsville Cup Final (498m) on Friday night have done the same.

Victorian based Britton has Mepunga Shine and Mackinaw Peach drawn the four and seven respectively in the $75,000-to-the-winner final and gives both great chances.

FIELDS AND FORM TOWNSVILLE FRIDAY

"They both look well and have handled things great up here," Britton said.

"I've been taking them to the beach and that has done them the world of good."

Jeff is staying with Townsville Club president Gary Heath during his trip north.

Mepunga Shine (Shima Shine-Mepunga Molly) won his heat in 28.45 last Friday as the $1.50 favourite.

He is the winner of the Group 1 Silver Chief, was second in the Group 1 Perth Cup and third in the Group 1 Temlee among his 12 wins and stakes of $256,000.

Kennelmate and littermate, Mackinaw Peach, ran 28.71 to win her heat last week and the bitch has now won nine races and earned $49,000.

"Mepunga Shine is a very good dog but he's no superstar," the trainer added.

"He gets out well and I just hope he gets around that first corner. I think he can improve a little bit on his run in the heat. The climate up here is very different.

"He is a different dog in that he goes so well around The Meadows, but not so well at Sandown."

Of Mackinaw Peach, Jeff is pleasantly surprised by her.

"She won a heat of the Sapphire Crown but we had to scratch her from the final," he said.

"She was always a bit weak at the finish, but in the past month or so she has gone to another level.

"She is drawn well and even though she can be hit and miss at the jump, if she happened to get out, she will be hard to beat as well.

"She usually stays straight out of the boxes."

But Britton says the red runner, Nathan Goodwin's She's A Bumpy is the one to beat in the final.

"It has run 29.60 around Wenty, has drawn well and went great in the heat," Britton added.

"It's the one to beat."

Britton will see how his Cup pair recover after the final and when he gets back to Victoria before looking at Million Dollar Chase plans for both.

"We will take a team to Wenty for the Million Dollar Chase and likely include them as well," he said.