Stayer on target for Barker Cup

Ready To Fire will contest Sunday’s $35,000 Mt Barker Cup (2000m) after breaking a lengthy drought in the Wara-tah Fencing Handicap (1932m) at Percy Spencer Racecourse last Friday.

The Roy Rogers-trained stayer started a $23 chance in the field of 10 and settled midfield for apprentice jockey Randy Tan before charging down the outside to grab the lead in the shad-ows of the post and cling on by a head.

Tan got everything out of Ready To Fire in the final 100m as he urged him to the line with Barry’s Rabbit second a head away, while Toned sprinted home from last on the turn to grab third, also beaten a head.

Ready To Fire broke a 337-day winning drought, having won the same class race in the lead-up to the Mt Barker and Albany cups last season.

“Three starts back, she should have won when she was beat a lip,” Rogers said.

“She will go to the Mt Barker Cup this week and then head towards the Albany Cup.

“She actually won this same race last year and ran fourth in the Albany Cup after having the Barker Cup run pulled from underneath us.

“She is coming good at the right time and hopefully can figure in these cups.”

Rogers had a double at last week’s meeting after talented three-year-old Anna Amalia made it successive wins since joining the stable.

After breaking her maiden status the previous week, the ex-Trevor Andrews galloper sped to the lead for Tan in the Kenso Agcare Handicap (1230m) and kicked clear in the straight to down Faulty by a length on the line.

“She’s a really nice horse,” Rogers said.

“It’s always hard to go from a maiden to the next level, but the next test is winning a class two.

“We’ll space her runs and place her eight, but it was a really good ride by Randy, who is in great form.”

Tan shot to the top of the Great Southern apprentice standings, with the double taking him to seven wins for the season.

Meanwhile, Sunday’s meeting at Mt Barker Turf Club will go ahead after Racing and Wagering stewards declared yesterday they had passed the track as safe to race on.

MBTC lost two recent meetings because of track problems on the main straight concerning water issues, but the club is set to hold its final meeting of the season on Sunday with an eight-race program.