KEY POINTS:
Levin trainer Peter McKenzie hopes Sculptor can pay expenses towards his forthcoming trip to Queensland by winning the $50,000 Trentham Gold Cup at Trentham tomorrow.
McKenzie has the group two Brisbane Cup (2400m) at Eagle Farm on June 11 as the main target this winter for Sculptor, while stablemate Empyreal will be aimed at defending his listed Caloundra Cup crown on July 1.
Empyreal is a race rival of Sculptor's tomorrow, but is not as far advanced in his racing programme and McKenzie is definitely leaning towards the latter.
"Sculptor's very close to winning," he said.
Sculptor has started three times this campaign for a fifth and two seconds, the last of which was behind Balmuse in the group three Rotorua Cup a fortnight ago.
That was over 2200m, the distance of tomorrow's Gold Cup, and the run was good enough to suggest he will be very tough to beat, with regular rider Chris Johnson taking the mount after David Walsh rode him at Rotorua.
McKenzie said Sculptor was a stronger horse than when he finished fourth in the Queensland Derby last winter, backing up two days later to finish third in the Brisbane Cup over 3200m.
"He was a light horse then but has 10kg to 15kg extra on him now," he said.
McKenzie's biggest worry might be the Trentham track. It had a penetrometer reading of 4.1, in the slow range, yesterday, but club officials were confident it wouldn't worsen.
McKenzie said Sculptor would prefer it dead, while Empyreal goes better on heavier going.
He said Empyreal had been hard to place since returning from Queensland last winter with a rating of 108 and was not as forward as Sculptor as a result.
He is likely to have another run in New Zealand, in the listed Cornwall Handicap on Saturday week, before both head to Queensland on June 8.
Empyreal has won the last two runnings of the Caloundra Cup.
The main dangers to Sculptor appear to be the smart mare Lilakyn, who was fourth in the Rotorua Cup, and A Great Life and The Big Hearted, who fought out the finish to a 2100m event at Awapuni last Saturday, with the latter prevailing by a length.
A Great Life has the better form at 2200m though, with three wins from seven starts.
Lilakyn's chances would be greatly enhanced by an improvement in track conditions.
- NZPA
