By Adam Hamilton
Auckland Cup hero Republican Party looks set to join the growing Hunter Cup party.
A race that threatened to be a tad thin for star power just a couple of weeks ago, now promises to deliver an explosive start to 2025.
Already, Leap To Fame looks certain to defend his crown, newly crowned Inter Dominion champ Don Hugo is a lock, emerging Kiwi talent Tact McLeod is headed towards it and $2 million-earner Catch A Wave also has the Hunter Cup in his sights.
More recently, star Kiwis Don’t Stop Dreaming and Republican Party have come on the radar.
Following his Group 1 win at Alexandra Park on New Year’s Eve, Republican Party’s trainer Cran Dalgety is exploring all options around an extended Aussie campaign, which will also see Republican Party chase the Miracle Mile.
“There’s a lot of options and plenty of weigh-up,” he said. “We’ve decided he’ll race at Cambridge next week and we’ll use that time to map things out, providing he goes well at Cambridge.
“There’s a flight on January 15 (Auckland to Melbourne).”
That would open the $100,000 Group 2 Ballarat Cup as an option.
“The timing works on paper, but I’m not sure racing him three days after arriving is ideal,” Dalgety said.
“There’s the Casey Classic a week later. Given he’s had racing and will have run at Cambridge to keep up to the mark, just that run the week before the Hunter Cup could suit better.”
The Hunter Cup is at Melton on February 1.
The timing also fits Republican Party to stay in Victoria for the $100,000 Cranbourne Cup a week after the Hunter Cup.
Looking further ahead to NSW, the options for Republican Party and Don’t Stop Dreaming to chase a Miracle Mile are via the $100,000 Group 2 Newcastle Mile on February 21 or one of the two “qualifiers” worth $100,000 each at Menangle on March 1.
The $1 million Miracle Mile is on March 8.
Trainer-driver Luke McCarthy confirmed Don Hugo would go “first-up” into the Hunter Cup.
“He’ll have a couple of strong (private) workouts and then one trial. He didn’t have long out,” he said.
In contrast, Catch A Wave will trial at Melton on Tuesday with a view to a first-up run in the Ballarat Cup.
“The plan is Ballarat, then back-up in the Casey Classic a week later and the Hunter Cup to be his third run in as many weeks,” trainer Andy Gath said.
In other disappointing stable news, Gath confirmed Callmethebreeze’s Great Southern Star defence was over before it started.
“He’s still not where we need him to be and we’ve run out of time,” he said.
With doubts still lingering over Just Believe’s racing future, the Mark and Nathan Purdon decision to send Oscar Bonavena to the Great Southern Star looks an inspired move.