Prepare for every scenario and then expect the unexpected is how David Moran will map his way to what would be the greatest victory of his career.
The trainer-driver’s Shepparton superstar, Lochinvar Art, is a short-priced favourite to land tonight’s Del-Re National A G Hunter Cup, a feat that would make them only the second Victorian-trained winner of the great race since 2007.
“It’s the one race everyone wants to win,” Moran said. “I remember as a kid watching Chris Alford drive Mont Denver Gold three or four back on the fence and win, and it’s probably one of my favourite races of all time.”
Alford, who will tonight steer one of Moran’s lead rivals Alta Orlando, has won three Hunter Cups, the last with Sting Like Bee in 2007.
Since then only Kerryn Manning, with Arden Rooney in 2015, has produced a home-town win, with Victoria’s heavyweight championship having otherwise been a whitewash, instead dominated by Kiwis and New South Welshmen.
The latter remains an imminent threat tonight, with Belinda and Luke McCarthy again coming well-armed, starting reigning champion King Of Swing, likely early leader Alta Orlando and recent addition Star Galleria.
“Our team is all going really we’ll, particularly my drive King Of Swing,” Luke McCarthy said. “He’s the best horse in the stable.”
Already a winner of $1.6 million in stakes off a stunning 2020, King Of Swing’s hopes of a Hunter Cup defence were rocked by Sunday’s back row draw, which McCarthy labelled “a big blow”.
But stablemate Alta Orlando has “great gate speed,” McCarthy said, and “should end up in front and get a good trip”, while the stable’s other runner, Star Galleria, has “been super” and worked “really good”.
“I love driving at Melton,” he said. “I love being a part of it all, the big Victorian carnival.”
His tribe are just three of the 11 imminent threats Moran will have to consider when plotting his route from gate nine to the finishing line.
“Alta Orlando holds the key. I think he probably crosses (Triple Eight), then it’s a matter of whether he holds or hands up,” Moran said.
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Lochinvar Art will start on the back of Alta Orlando in gates nine and two respectively, but Moran said he won’t press the issue early.
“It can be a little tricky following through. You don’t want to burn ridiculously hard, because a horse like Alta Orlando can make you work,” he said. “If you lob the breeze straight away you can be there a long time.
“Some horses don’t follow that hard from the second row, (Lochinvar Art) doesn’t. But we’ve got an advantage on the others a little bit, if they punch through they will do a lot of work, if they don’t we will be in front and the first ones on our bike.”
The others he speaks of are the likes of Star Galleria (gate 10), Wolf Stride (gate 11) and King Of Swing (gate 12), who drew directly on Lochinvar Art’s outside on the back row and will occupy much of Moran’s thinking.
“I’m excited. I’ve got to put my game face on a little,” he said. “Emma (Stewart) and Clayton (Tonkin) have three or four runners, Luke has three runners, I need to use this week to really concentrate in the right manner.
“These races, you have to have a really good look at them. When it doesn’t quite go your way you just have to sum it up. It can be a split-second decision.”
READ MORE AHEAD OF THE HUNTER CUP:
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