Tony McEvoy is confident French import Kourkam has come on since his last start and is ready to run a cracking race in today’s Albury Gold Cup.
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The five-year-old gelding is coming off a last-start third to Suavito and Sertorius in the group 2 Blamey Stakes at Flemington on March 14.
He loomed to be right in the finish but peaked on his run over the latter stages but Kourkam was only second up after scoring a classy win over 1600m at Morphettville on February 28.
“The horse has come on since his good run in the Blamey,” McEvoy said.
“I thought he handled the step up to group 2 company well.
“He probably peaked on his run over the last 200 metres but it was a good effort.
“The horse is in good shape. I’ve been waiting to get him to 2000 metres. I’m looking forward to it.
“I was in Melbourne this week and I liked the look of Kourkam. I haven’t done a lot with him, no gallops, mainly striding work but he looked fit to my eye.”
Kourkam is raced by the Pipeliner Bloodstock Pty Ltd managed by McEvoy’s business partner, Wayne Mitchell, Gary and John Lechte and their wives.
The five-year-old is the second favourite at $4.20 for the listed race behind the David Brideoake-trained Self Sense.
McEvoy relocated from South Australia to Hawkesbury in 2013 and has never previously targeted an Albury Gold Cup.
Kourkam is set to be parntered by McEvoy’s newphew, Kerrin.
Kerrin will also be having his first ride in the Riverina’s richest race.
There will be a finalfield of 13 runners in today’s feature after Mike Moroney yesterday scratched his stablemates Devonshire Duke and Zazparella.
They join the Peter Moody-trained Lidari as scratchings after Lidari was declared a non-runner soon after the final field and barrier draw was completed on Tuesday.
The best backed runner yesterday in TAB markets was the Robert Smerdon-trained Verdant.
Verdant has his price slashed from $11 to $7 after a constant stream of money for the eight-year-old gelding.
Smerdon is a previous winner of the race with Paddy O’Reilly who won the cup in 2011 with Glen Boss aboard.
Quartzite, who will contest the Flat Knacker, was the other runner specked in pre-post markets and firmed into $4.20 after $6 was available when prices first went up.
The final make-up of the field won’t be revealed until early today.
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