Durrant chases another country cup

Leading WA trainer Adam Durrant will look to add a third Mt Barker Cup to his name when he saddles up a two-pronged attack in the $35,000 feature race this Sunday, as racing returns to the Frost Park venue. A troublesome season has cost the Mt Barker Turf Club several meetings, including the Mungrup Stud Sprint. That feature race is highlighted by the Grapes and Gallops wine and food festival that will be held at this Sunday’s final meeting of the MBTC season instead. Durrant will chase a Great Southern cups double after Mackenzie Brooke secured him a record-equalling sixth Albany Cup last month. Pagan Image and Everymile A Memory make up the Durrant team in the Mt Barker Cup (2000m) as part of an eight-race card. Durrant has previously won the race with Hibernian (2012) and Marden (2015), both ridden by cups king Peter Hall. Pagan Image ran in two listed races last winter and comes into the race on the back of a strong win at Geraldton last start over 1900m. Everymile A Memory has re-joined Durant’s stable after having a crack at the Roebourne, Port Hedland and Broome Cup for Brett Southcott where she ran second in two of them. The five-year-old mare has won two races beyond 2000m and will be ridden by Kyra Yuill jumping from barrier 10. Jerry Noske will partner Pagan Image who gets in well with 55kg and barrier seven. The Angela Smith-trained Corporate Larrikin is the 60kg top weight in the race while Albany trainers Steve Wolfe (War Ksar and Mr Pago) and Garry Delane (Proxy and Defiantly) both have two runners in the race. Helen Harding will have two chances in the race as she looks to add to her 2013 success in the same race with two runners. Meanwhile at Ascot on Saturday, Wolfe will saddle up talented filly Mood Goodess in the listed $100,000 Natasha Stakes (2200m).