Racing: Veteran has top chance

MELBOURNE - Trainer David Brideoake says he could not have 10-year-old Daka's Gem going any better as he tries to win the Ballarat Cup for the second year in a row in Central Victoria today.

Since 1946 only five horses have won the 2200m cup twice and only three have won it in successive years.

The oldest runner in this year's field, Daka's Gem is on a 17-race losing streak - he hasn't won since last year's cup but has regained form at the right time.

He has a better form line than a year ago, following his third to Savquaw on a heavy track in the Moe Cup (2025m) at Cranbourne with a third to Zupacool in the Bendigo Cup (2200m) and second to Bourbonstreetblues in the Kyneton Cup (2000m).

"He is a better horse on soft tracks but his form lately on firm ground has been good," Brideoake said yesterday.

"It was a very hard track at Bendigo and a very hard track at Kyneton and he ran bottlers both times."

Daka's Gem was one of Western Australia's leading stayers, where his best win was a dead-heat with Scenic Shot at weight-for-age in the 2006 group two Cox Stakes (2400m) before his owners sent him to Brideoake for the country cups.

He had his first start for the stable when fourth in the 2008 Warrnambool Cup, ran second in Geelong's 2008 Briseis Gold Cup and last autumn finished fourth in the group three Easter Cup (2000m) at Caulfield.

"Anyone would love to have a horse like him," Brideoake said.

"He's had 95 starts and been averaging $7500 in prizemoney every time he has gone around.

"There are few good chances tomorrow but anyone who leaves him out of their multiples does it at their own peril."

- AAP