Mark Sanders has a big week ahead.
On Friday, he marries long-time partner Megan Gore at Te Awamutu. On Tuesday, he saddles up Prize Lady in the Melbourne Cup.
The wedding was planned well before the decision was made to contest the Melbourne Cup with Prize Lady, who
has won the last two Auckland Cups.
"It's made things a bit frantic, but we are managing to fit everything in and it's very exciting," Sanders, 30, said.
But he admitted he hadn't "much time to worry about the wedding".
He and Megan have been together for eight years and have two young daughters who will stay at home with their maternal grandparents when the newly-weds head to Melbourne on Saturday.
"There's no time for honeymoons in the racing game," said Sanders, who trains in partnership with his father Graeme at Te Awamutu.
The wedding, fittingly, will be at Te Awamutu racecourse, venue for the Waipa race meeting the following day.
"They've put a marquee up for the races and we will use that for the reception, and have the wedding service in there if it is wet," Sanders said.
A big day looms on Saturday, with the Sanders team lining up seven horses at their home meeting, before the trip to Melbourne the following day.
The Sanders stable is very much a family affair. Mark's sister Debbie was the training partner for Graeme until she stood down to raise a family last season, with Mark replacing her.
And Debbie's husband, jockey Mark Sweeney, will ride Prize Lady in the Melbourne Cup.
Mark Sanders admitted to a "buzz" having a runner in the Melbourne Cup in only his second season of training.
"It's awesome, the ultimate dream," he said. "We think we have got her [Prize Lady] pretty fit."
- NZPA
