Local stars eye turf classics

Pat Hyland’sPat Hyland’s

– Glen Atwell
CRANBOURNE trainer Brian Jenkins will lead the local charge in this year’s Spring Racing Carnival, with 10 nominations in feature races.
Cranbourne Training Complex trainers have a total of 72 nominations in the six feature races of the racing carnival.
Races on Cranbourne’s hit-list include the Melbourne Cup, Caulfield Cup, Cox Plate, Crown Oaks, Caulfield Guineas and Thousand Guineas.
Jenkins has his sights set on the Caulfield Cup, nominating five of his gallopers in a bid to win the 2400-metre race.
His quest for glory will be led by Allanthus, Devil’s Mountain, Global Fashion, Monte Cassino and Schwarzer.
Michael Kent is preparing an assault on the 3200-metre Melbourne Cup nominating four horses in the race that stops a nation. Kent’s staying line-up is Banana Man, Montahlia, Night Magic and Piety.
Rodney Douglas and Robbie Laing have nominated eight and six horses respectively in feature races.
Greg Eurell and Pat Hyland have both entered five.
Hyland’s ticket to the spring includes dual Group 1 winning star Zarita.
Zarita is preparing for a full-tilt assault on the carnival’s three biggest events, the Caulfield Cup, Melbourne Cup and Cox Plate.
Hyland has declared that his classy mare won’t run both Caulfield Cup and Cox Plate, and is leaning towards a start in the Group 1 at Moonee Valley.
“If she ran in the first three in the Caulfield Cup, she’d run in the Melbourne Cup,” he said.
“If she ran in the Cox Plate, she could still go to the Melbourne Cup.”
Zarita has impressed punters since returning from a spell and has firmed from $26 to $17 in Caulfield Cup betting.