Sampson
Race Images Palmerston North
Howie Mathews has a long history with the Gr.2 Wallaceville Estate Wellington Cup.
The Otaki trainer, who will be represented by Egmont Cup winner Sampson on Saturday, had his first cup runner almost 40 years ago.
He was mixing riding and training when he produced Big Gamble to run second in the 1978 Wellington Cup and the horse returned a year later to record a five-length win.
Mathews, who was private trainer for Matamata owner Hec Tapper at the time, had just turned 25 when Big Gamble won the cup and had prepared Extra Flash to win the Telegraph Handicap a year earlier.
Mathews has had a handful of Wellington Cup runners since, including Coshking, Rising Heights and Taikorea.
Coshking was an accomplished stayer. He twice ran fourth in the Trentham feature before going on to win a Brisbane Cup and run second in a Sydney Cup and he also contested a Melbourne Cup.
Sampson, who is making his 3200m debut, is racing well and is at single-figure odds for Saturday.
The Dubai Destination gelding beat his Trentham rival King Kamada when winning the Egmont Cup fresh-up in October and has been placed at his last three starts.
The six-year-old has a good record over ground. He has had four wins and four seconds from 13 starts at 2000m or further and has only twice finished further back than fourth.
"We are really happy with him and he hasn't had the rub of the green a couple of times this campaign," Mathews said.
"He's very fit and eating well. I've also been riding him in work recently and he feels good.
"He's a big, strong horse and I think he will get two miles. He's a bit like Coshking in that he loves to roll along and we will want him to be in the clear from the 600m." – NZ Racing Desk
The Otaki trainer, who will be represented by Egmont Cup winner Sampson on Saturday, had his first cup runner almost 40 years ago.
He was mixing riding and training when he produced Big Gamble to run second in the 1978 Wellington Cup and the horse returned a year later to record a five-length win.
Mathews, who was private trainer for Matamata owner Hec Tapper at the time, had just turned 25 when Big Gamble won the cup and had prepared Extra Flash to win the Telegraph Handicap a year earlier.
Mathews has had a handful of Wellington Cup runners since, including Coshking, Rising Heights and Taikorea.
Coshking was an accomplished stayer. He twice ran fourth in the Trentham feature before going on to win a Brisbane Cup and run second in a Sydney Cup and he also contested a Melbourne Cup.
Sampson, who is making his 3200m debut, is racing well and is at single-figure odds for Saturday.
The Dubai Destination gelding beat his Trentham rival King Kamada when winning the Egmont Cup fresh-up in October and has been placed at his last three starts.
The six-year-old has a good record over ground. He has had four wins and four seconds from 13 starts at 2000m or further and has only twice finished further back than fourth.
"We are really happy with him and he hasn't had the rub of the green a couple of times this campaign," Mathews said.
"He's very fit and eating well. I've also been riding him in work recently and he feels good.
"He's a big, strong horse and I think he will get two miles. He's a bit like Coshking in that he loves to roll along and we will want him to be in the clear from the 600m." – NZ Racing Desk