There was no luck for the Lunn family when the Bathurst Cup was first run this year but things could be different when the event is run for a second time in the space of six months on Sunday.
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An agreement between Racing NSW and Bathurst Thoroughbred Racing has seen the showpiece event moved to springtime, meaning this weekend marks the rare occasion of a second cup being contested in one calendar year.
The Gai Waterhouse and Adrain Bott-trained Chocalatier won the cup in March, but the high-profile duo won't have a chance in action on Sunday.
Dubbo trainer Dar Lunn has put forward his consistent Helstar and is out to go better than brother Garry, who had Nightspun run tenth in March's Bathurst Cup.
Helstar may have finished eighth in the recent $100,000 Dubbo Cup but the gelding had run three successive placings prior to that.
The winner of the Dubbo feature, Steamin', will be out for a second successive cup win after being nominated for the Bathurst event by Wellington trainer Steamin'.
Steamin' produced a wholehearted performance to win at Dubbo earlier in the month and will no doubt be firmly in the mix at Bathurst after finishing victorious in three of his past five starts.
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While Mulholland's hope likes to come from deep in the field late, one of the other possible contenders among the cup nominations is a noted front-runner.
Gulgong trainer Brett Thompson has nominated Sugar Dance for two events at Bathurst, the 1800m cup and also The Panorama, a new 1300m event designed to attract hopefuls for looming $1.3 million Kosciuszko at Randwick.
"He runs well at Bathurst and handles the tight turns," Thompson told Racing NSW of Sugar Dance.
Sugar Dance has slowly been making his way up in distance, having run fourth in the 1600m Dubbo feature behind Steamin' last time out.
Thompson's six-year-old gelding has a near-perfect record at Bathurst, having started there twice for a win and a narrow defeat.
He could also line up in The Panorama, a race which attracted 22 nominations.
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Nick Guthrie
I started working at the Daily Liberal in 2013 and now hold the position of senior journalist. I cover all that's happening in sport in Dubbo and the wider western area and have a passion for doing so. If you've got a story that needs telling, reach out.
I started working at the Daily Liberal in 2013 and now hold the position of senior journalist. I cover all that's happening in sport in Dubbo and the wider western area and have a passion for doing so. If you've got a story that needs telling, reach out.
