Gibbons In Pursuit Of Another Maitland Cup Title
THE last time Barry Gibbons ventured to Maitland for the Gold Cup series was back in 2005 ... and Barry won with Whatuira Banner.
THE last time Barry Gibbons ventured to Maitland for the Gold Cup series was back in 2005 … and Barry won with Whatuira Banner.
On Friday night, Barry turned up at Maitland again with two Cup hopefuls Big Frank Banner and Foran Banner, half relations out of Barry's fine producer Galaxy Banner.
They both landed heat wins and now head to this Friday's rich Group 2 final (450m) hoping to keep Barry's “run of luck” in the Cup going albeit 18 years apart.
That is despite Barry lamenting both have drawn poorly in the final.
Big Frank Banner (Feral Franky-Galaxy Banner) ran 25.00 to win his Cup heat over Fahey's Magic and has come up with box three again in the final.
Foran Banner (Orson Allen-Galaxy Banner) ran 25.11 to down Zipping Caleb in her heat off box eight. She has the five in the final.
“Poor Foran, she just cannot draw a box,” said Barry. “And Frank has the three and the one (Sublime Ethics) wants to get off the track early.
“I can see there being trouble in the run to the first turn.
“Like all big races, the one that gets the luck early can win the race.
“I can see them all going to the first turn together.
“Frank will be our best hope because poor Foran cannot draw a box.”
Barry remembers Whatuira Banner being $16 in the final when he won the Cup back in 2005.
“I reckon we will get that sort of price about this pair in the final as well,” he said.
“Whatuira Banner pinged out and went straight to the front when he won.”
Peter Sims' Rampani made his debut on Maitland a winning one when he ran 24.72 the quickest of the Cup heats.
“He got it right and has hit a purple patch of form,” said Peter who took six and a half hours to get to Maitland from his base near Temora.
“I doubt the dog can find any improvement on what he did in the heat,” said Peter. “Our problem is that the one in the final wants to get up the track.”
Jess Fothergill's $16 outsider Scorching Boy ended Nangar Jim's unbeaten run at Maitland when scoring in 24.75 in its heat.
“It was a last-minute decision to go for the series,” said Jess.
“No, not happy with the four in the final, but he's in the race and that's a thrill.”
Dave Smith's Sublime Ethics ran 25.00 to win its heat over Try Catch Up as the $1.45 favourite, and Penny Hutchinson's War Hawk ran 24.99 to down Oh Minnie in the other heat.
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