Ken Casellas | Photo: PACEPIX
A clash between top-flight pacers Pinny Tiger and Lavra Joe in the $35,000 Narrogin Cup on Saturday night is sure to provide plenty of fireworks.
The Michael Brennan-trained Pinny Tiger will be driven by Chris Voak from the No. 1 barrier on the front line in the 2662m Cup, with Lavra Joe, to be driven by Gary Hall Jnr for owner-trainer Ray Jones, drawn to begin from the No. 3 barrier on the back line.
Pinny Tiger, who finished second to Vultan Tin in the 2022 Narrogin Cup, is in top form with four wins and three placings from eight starts in his current campaign. He trailed the pacemaker Jumpingjackmac and ran home solidly to finish third behind Catch A Wave and Jumpingjackmac in the 2936m Fremantle Cup last Friday week. He led and won from Steel The Show and Tenzing Bromac, rating 1.55.6 over 2536m the previous week.
Lavra Joe, a winner 33 races and $734,883 in prizemoney, was withdrawn 18 minutes before the Fremantle Cup when he was suffering from a mild colic attack. He had put up a remarkable performance the previous Friday when he thundered home from the rear to finish fourth behind Catch A Wave in the Nullarbor slot race.
Adding considerable spice to the Narrogin Cup will be the appearance of evergreen veteran pacer Vultan Tin, who is trained by Dan Costello and will be driven by Toby Lynn.
Twelve-year-old Vultan Tin will be contesting the Narrogin Cup for the sixth time when he starts from barrier four on the back line. He has won the Narrogin Cup three times, driven by Voak to victory over Im Full Of Excuses in 2017, handled by Shannon Suvaljko when he won from Antero in 2021, and driven by Mitch Miller when he beat Pinny Tiger in 2022.
Vultan Tin has amassed $1,077,605 from 33 wins and 54 placings from 229 starts.
The only mare in Saturday night’s Cup is Nullarbor Navajo, who will begin from the No. 4 barrier for trainer Corey Peterson and reinsman Stuart McDonald. She impressed at Gloucester Park last Friday night when she raced in the breeze for most of the way and fought on grandly to finish third behind Aardiebytheseaside and Acharne Girl in the 2130m WASBA Breeders Stakes.
Serpentine trainer-reinsman Dylan Egerton-Green has eight-year-old To Fast To Serious racing keenly, and the WA-bred gelding will start from barrier five and is capable of a bold showing. He ran home strongly when second to Steel The Show over 2536m last Friday week, and then finished a sound third behind Jumpingjackmac and Steel The Show over the same distance last Friday night.