The Gosford Gold Cup meeting will be held at Newcastle this Saturday (11th May). The course proper was rated a Soft 7 on Thursday and with further showers forecast leading up to the weekend, Newcastle will definitely be racing on a rain-affected track on raceday.
Top weight Imperial Force can set punters on the right course in the opening event on Saturday (Sydney Race 1, 1200m). This Waller-trained 2YO ran a promising 2nd on debut at Kensington over 1100m before he ran away with a win by a margin of 3.8 lengths last start at Canterbury. Fitter again third up and he should handle the wet condition being by Snitzel. Chad Schofield will go forward and sit outside likely leader Sovereign Hill and Imperial Force will be too strong in the run home.
Ciaron Maher-trained Future History is primed to peak in the Gosford Gold Cup (Sydney Race 6, 2200m). The gelding ran a close 3rd in the Mooney Valley Cup before finishing mid-field in the Melbourne Cup in the spring. He did a good job in the Easter Cup and the Mornington Cup in his past two starts. The 6YO also has a good wet track record and the in-form Joshua Parr will be on board. Parr will be settling mid-field in transit and Future History will let down strongly in the straight.
Bjorn Baker and Rachel King had combined to win with Star Act at Warwick Farm on Wednesday and they can repeat the dose by taking out The Coast with Iknowastar (Sydney Race 8, 1600m). The 4YO gelding has been very consistent as he had won four times from six starts last campaign and two eye-catching 2nds in his last two starts. King will go straight to the lead and Iknowastar will be hard to catch.
By Owens Wong
