Last year’s runner-up Spencer will try to turn the tables on Belardo Boy when they line up for a rematch in Saturday’s Listed Sinclair Electrical & Refrigeration Opunake Cup (1400m) at New Plymouth.
The 2024 edition of the Opunake Cup, which was run at Hawera, was Spencer’s first appearance at Group or Listed level. The Derryn gelding took a three-race winning streak into that first big test of his career, and he performed creditably with a second placing behind two-length winner Belardo Boy.
Spencer has added another two wins to his burgeoning record since then, including a black-type breakthrough in the Gr.3 Spring Sprint (1400m) at Te Rapa in October.
That has brought a rise in the ratings, lifting the five-year-old up to 58.5kg for Saturday’s $120,000 feature while topweight Belardo Boy has 60kg. They meet much closer at the weights this year than 12 months ago, when Belardo Boy carried 59kg and Spencer had 53kg.
But despite that, and despite a disappointing last-start ninth in a northern mission at Ellerslie in early June, Spencer’s trainer Erin Hocquard believes the star of her Waverley stable can make his presence felt on Saturday.
“I’m not sure how well he handled that big trip to Auckland, and then he didn’t get much of a breather in the run either,” Hocquard said. “So a few things went wrong. It’s just one of those things that can happen sometimes in racing.
“I’ve kept him ticking along in between times, but for one reason or another he hasn’t had a run since then. He was meant to go to the trials, but they got cancelled too. So he’s freshened himself up in a way.
“But he galloped very well at Hawera on Tuesday and did a similar bit of work at Wanganui a week or two before that, so we’ve managed to get a good amount of work into him.
“I think he compares pretty well to what he was like going into the race last year. Hopefully he’ll go alright again. Going so long without a run is a bit of a concern, especially if the track is really heavy, but I think a few of the others will be in a similar boat.”
Spencer has drawn the inside gate and will be ridden by Kavish Chowdhoory.
“There’s not much we can do from that draw apart from pushing forward,” Hocquard said. “Hopefully we won’t get stuck in the worst part of the track.”
Spencer will attempt to deliver a popular local result in the Opunake Cup, racing in the colours of Taranaki owner-breeder Aidan Schumacher.
The TAB rates Spencer a $13 sixth favourite. Belles Beau is the $4.20 favourite, just ahead of Joshua Brown at $4.80. They are followed by Belardo Boy ($6), Little Bit Of Love ($7) and Sinbin ($10)