HOT TO TROT
HORSE RACING HOT Saga will be looking to find some open spaces on Cannon Park this Saturday afternoon to deliver Cairns trainer Fred Wieland his first ever Cairns Amateur Cup.
Wieland has been one of the leading trainers in North Queensland for decades but has never claimed an Amateur Cup, training three thirds over the years.
Hot Saga, a seven-year-old bay gelding, will carry the Wieland stable hopes on Saturday over 2100m with Townsville-hoop Graham Kliese on board.
Kliese claimed a Cairns Amateur Cup all the way back in 1997, riding Only For Money to victory but has not lifted the silverware at Cannon Park since.
The $363,000 stakes earner raced without luck in the recent Townsville Cup and Kliese believes he needs to stay out of trouble in running to give his horse the best chance.
“Hot Saga is a better horse when he gets a bit of space and neither of the races in Townsville he got that,” Kliese said.
“Hopefully he can get a bit of clear space and he can do his best work.
“Fred is a good trainer, he will have him primed and it will just depend on what sort of run we get.”
Hot Saga went for a Brisbane campaign in late 2015 and drew barrier ten yesterday morning.
“He has been racing without a bit of luck the last three or four starts but if he has his luck at the right time, he is quite capable,” Wieland said.
“It is a quality race, there is probably two locals and two visitors that are really good chances.”
Kliese believes top-weight, Flying Light, will be the one to beat after recording a Cairns Cup runner-up a few weeks ago but is not discounting his ride.
“He is a chance, I am not super confident because you never can be in these type of races,” Kliese said.
“If you take out Flying Light, it is a very winnable race for him.
“If things go Hot Saga’s way, which it has not the last few starts, he is a good old horse on his day.
“If he brings his A-game, he will be right in it and hard to beat.
“He is a good horse to ride, a typical old staying horse.”
Cairns Cup runner-up Flying Light is the early favourite for the Cairns Amateurs Cup ahead of Townsville Cup runner-up Legal Procedure.