By Jonny Turner
Craig Ferguson has a cups double-double in his sights at Riverton on Sunday.
Last month the trainer-driver bagged both the Forbury Park pacing and trotting cups on a highly successful trip to Wingatui.
On Sunday, Ferguson will link up with the same cup-winning horses in Nutcracker and Moment Of What at another venue well known for its rich history in the thoroughbred code.
And the pair look legitimate winning threats again.
Nutcracker is coming into the Carriers Arms Hotel Riverton Cup in arguably the form of her career.
“She has probably stepped it up a bit this year, to what she did last year,” Ferguson said.
“She was pretty good last week chasing a pretty smart horse, One Change.
“It was a good second and they got home in quite nice time.
“She seems to be in a good space at the moment.”
The mare heads into tomorrow’s feature after chasing home One Change in her second in the Northern Southland Cup.
Proven in the cups grade, on grass tracks and from standing starts, Nutcracker looks to tick all the boxes needed ahead of her Riverton Cup tilt.
“One of her biggest assets is her manners. She will walk around at the start and behave herself.
“When the others play up she will just stand and wait.”
“She tends to make a pretty good beginning. She’s off 10m on Sunday but the way he’s been getting off the mark hopefully she can make that up pretty quick.”
Moment Of What cruised to victory in the Forbury Park Trotting Cup last month but he has put two glaring zeros next to his name since.
In the first of those runs, the Amber Hoffman-trained trotter was checked early in the Gore Trotters Cup before making another mid-race mistake.
In his latest outing, Moment Of What loomed up on the turn in the Cromwell Trotting Cup before breaking on the home turn.
While the trotter may be down on confidence, Ferguson knows he is capable of winning with his best manners.
“I thought he was probably going to win at Cromwell — he was absolutely jogging.
“But he has got it wrong a couple of times lately.
“Hopefully, he can bring his A-game and trot the distance, but he has certainly got the ability.”
Ferguson also starts Netherton Franco in the last race on the card.
The mare produced the best run of her campaign when putting away a lower-grade field with style at Ascot Park last week.
“She seems to like the grass. She went super last week, she felt like she did it with a bit more in store
“She was a touch disappointing before that so we added a set of blinds and it seemed to make a difference.”
Precious Memories in race 1 opener looks another of Ferguson’s key drives at Riverton.
