Chasing consecutive country cups

FRESH from causing an upset in last weekend’s Boort Trotters’ Cup, in-form gelding The Dark Thunder is primed to repeat the dose on Sunday.

Unbeaten from two starts since returning from a spell, The Dark Thunder produced a phenomenal effort to secure the provincial feature.

With Sean O’Sullivan holding the reins, The Dark Thunder began badly from the pole before breaking stride midrace to be a conservative 40 metres from the leader, El Conqueror.

Upon catching the field at the bell, the son of Skyvalley was angled away from the pegs and into the ‘death seat’.

Digging deep during the concluding stages, The Dark Thunder rated 2:09.3 over a waterlogged 2612 metres as Maestro and El Conqueror filled the placings.

Returning to mobile conditions this time around, the Mary-Jane Mifsud-trained squaregaiter is engaged in the Wangaratta Trotters’ Cup.

Captured by the Kim Procter-trained Abitofadreamer in track record time last season, the Cup will be conducted at an ‘away’ venue – Shepparton – this year.

As for The Dark Thunder, he will begin from the inside of the second row, with the four-year-old listed on the third line of betting at $5.

Coconut Mickey heads the market at $3.80 from the pole, with Abbie considered the main danger at $4 from barrier two.

“He has pulled up a treat from last week and is ready to go again,” Mifsud said. “Back to the mobile is also a help.

“The draw could be a bit tricky, but I’m pretty confident with him. As long as he can avoid traffic, he is going to be very hard to beat.

“I give him a better chance going into this than last week, so hopefully I am right.”

Later on the card, the Pacing Cup shapes as an intriguing event, with betting markets suggesting a wide-open affair, with half the field under double figures.

Despite drawing the outside of the front line, Fire Marshall is a narrow $3.20 favourite from Nugget Rogers at $4 from barrier five.

Katunga Express, Momentum Shift and With In Reason are in the mix at $5, $6.5 and $8.