TODD Howlett will start both Aghamore and Tableaux in Sunday’s $25,000 Bengalla Cup (1280m) despite the pair dominating the top end of the cup weights yesterday.
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While Kris Lees’ Fine Bubbles received top weight of 60kg Howlett’s well performed pair were allotted 59 and 58.5kg respectively.
Aghamore, a two-time winner at Skellatar Park, copped 59.5kg and Tamworth Cup winning Tableaux received 58.5kg.
That they are near Fine Bubbles in weight allotment is hugely disappointing, Howlett said.
“It stinks,” the trainer from lower Belford, near Cessnock said yesterday.
“It’s a terrible thing this benchmark system.
“Fine Bubbles has an 89 rating in the city but comes back to this in the country.” He is also disappointed with the lack of races around in the country for his pair forcing him to start both.
“They’ll both run,” he said.
“No races for them and we’ve got to go somewhere. It’s a shame they’ve both got to run here.
“Both have been working well and I’m pleased with them, but not pleased they’ve got to race each other.”
He did have Aghamore in at Canterbury yesterday but elected to scratch after he drew wide in 13.
A five-year-old bay gelding son of More Than Ready, Aghamore has won eight of his 33 starts for $175,295 in prizemoney.
He’s also won twice at Muswellbrook.
“Both as a young horse,” Howlett said.
“Tableaux hasn’t done much since winning the Tamworth Cup. I took him to Gunnedah for the cup but he had a lot of weight there. We’ve freshened him up a bit” He’s now hoping for some luck at the barrier draw when acceptances are taken this morning. “You’ve got to draw well at Muswellbrook over the 1280m,” he said.
Sunday’s Bengalla Cup has attracted a quality field including last year’s winner Eanie Meanie.
The six-year-old gelding, trained at Scone by Mary Moses, has won six of his 19 starts for more than $78,000 in prizemoney.
He carried 53kg after Vad Bolozhinskyi’s 1kg claim last year, but rises to 55.5kg Sunday.
Youthful King, last start winner of the Jungle Juice Cup at Cessnock, has 58kg but never won at Muswellbrook in four starts.
He has won 14 of his 19 starts, including four Jungle Juice Cups, for his trainer Jeremy Sylvester and owner Deleis Watson.
Binalong Road was also high up weight allotment, receiving 57kg.
The lightly raced gelding son of Stratum is unbeaten at Skellatar Park too, winning both his previous starts at the track for Mudgee trainer Mack Griffith.
