Racing: Hurrah, his weight is perfect

Hurrah might look like a horse that perhaps doesn't weather racing that well, but that's misleading.

In fact, co-trainer Shane Kennedy says he put on so much weight after finishing second to Kristov in the Starcraft Stakes he was becoming a danger to himself.

"He dropped 10kg straight after that race, which is normal, but by the following Monday week he'd packed on 30kg."

Kennedy said he and training partner Ricky Carston have Hurrah back to his right fighting weight for tomorrow's $80,000 Lawnmaster Awapuni Gold Cup.

Only nine accepted for the Cup, but it is a tight, compact weight-for-age field.

"The club was getting panicky about what was going to show up, but it's turned out to be a good field.

"Having said that there is no Kristov in the field, nor a $2 favourite."

Hurrah is very much in the mix after his Ellerslie performance, where he chased hard after Kristov in the closing stages.

In Kristov's absence there is no natural pacemaker and Kennedy does not rule out the prospect of Hurrah taking up the speed. "That's not a worry, he's done it before."

King Of Ashford will almost certainly start favourite, despite stepping up to 2000m for the first time.

The extra distance does not worry trainer Karen Zimmerman or rider Darryl Bradley, both of whom believe King Of Ashford has been looking for a middle distance for some time, even though he won nicely at 1600m at Trentham last start.

Running Irish Rover at 2000m at his first start since the Kelt Capital Stakes on October 1 is an interesting exercise. He is a wonderful galloper at a great range of distances and if he's fit enough to do himself justice he can win.

Trainer Jim Gibbs is delighted with the way Kerry O'Reilly has freshened since his sixth to Pentane in the Auckland Cup.