Marketplace.
Star Kiwi pacer Marketplace will have his final hit out in Sydney at Menangle on Saturday before heading to Brisbane where he will contest the $300,000 The Rising Sun at Albion Park on July 4.
Temporarily based at the McCarthy family’s Cobbitty Equine facility, the four-year-old son of Bettors Delight has been given plenty of time to acclimatise in Australia by trainer Regan Todd, here now for the past fortnight.
Marketplace has not been at the races since early May when scoring a strong win in open class at Addington.
Todd and his connections have had their sights set on the The Rising Sun for quiet some time, plotting their path after being invited to the race.
A hit-out at Menangle winning his trial in a sizzling 1:50.1 against high quality opposition was pleasing for trainer Todd, prompting him to nominate for Saturday night’s free-for-all.
“He has settled into the surroundings over here very well and we are looking forward to the next month of racing with him,” said Todd.
“We have been so fortunate to have the opportunity to be based here with Luke, get the horse acclimatised and prepare him for the trip to Queensland for the The Rising Sun.
“I was over the moon with his trial last week, and we know that his assignment on Saturday night where he is up against a quality field will not be easy, especiallyafter drawing gate ten over the 2300m trip at Menangle.
“But he is fit and healthy and we have the right man in Luke aboard so hopefully we can get the right result.”
Marketplace currently sits on the second line of the pre-post betting for The Rising Sun behind New South Wales super mare Captains Mistress.
Win, lose, or draw on July 4 in Brisbane it is likely to be the end of the preparation for Todd’s stable star as it is unlikely that he will contest the Inter Dominion, instead the plan for him is to head back home to Christchurch to have a break before he prepares for a tilt at the New Zealand Trotting Cup to be run in November on his home track of Addington.
