Top five hope for local bay gelding
ANAKIE trainer Tim Bolitho admits Hunter Cup winner Arden Rooney will be hard to beat in tonight’s Geelong Pacing Cup at Beckley Park.
But he is optimistic that his local hope, Arber, can figure in the finish after drawing in the front row on his home track.
Arber, last season’s Country Cups Galloper of the Year, is an outsider in tonight’s field, which also features last year’s Geelong Pacing Cup winner Chilli Palmer.
“We have not had the same success this year (with Arber) as we did last year,” Bolitho said.
“This year he’s up a grade and it’s become a bit tougher, but he will be giving his best.”
Experienced driver Michael Bellman will hold the reins of the bay gelding, owned by Geelong’s Phillip Nott.
“Mr Nott won a Geelong Cup in 1999 with Off the Old at 100/1,” Bolitho said.
Arber collected more than $75,000 in prizemoney last season with seven wins, six seconds and two thirds from 24 starts, but has had just one win and two place finishes this season from his 16 starts for just over $18,000 in prizemoney.
He finished fourth in last year’s Geelong Pacing Cup after winning the cups at Echuca, Stawell and Wangaratta.
Bolitho hoped that a top five finish was again on the cards tonight.
“Arber is a beautiful and very honest horse, we have never had the slightest issue with him,” he said. “We work them pretty solidly, they live outside in the paddock as we keep it as natural as we can.”
Tonight’s Geelong Pacing Cup, which will start at 9.30am, is a leg of the Victorian Country Cup Championship and comes with $25,505 prizemoney.
Bolitho also has Our Summer Wind in race 6 at 9pm.