Caption: The Late John Finn, the only trainer to have won the Gosford Cup twice. (Photo: Lachlan Naidu)

By GARY CLARK

JUST two days into 2024 the Group 2 Gosford Cup final will be the first Group race of the year.

In recent years it has become the opening race of the Group calendar and the Gosford Cup has returned to the class event it was 20 years ago.

Last year’s final had a compact finish with just three lengths covering the first six runners over the line. Punter’s Bandit won, defeating Mia She’s Fast and Zipping Novak.

The race had two changes in 2003.

The track surface was transformed from grass to loam and the race had a $10,000 winner’s cheque.

Three years later the race was upgraded to Group 2 and in 2007 the winner’s prize was $40,000.

The race record of 29.15 is shared by Beast Unleashed (2019) and Wow (2021), who also still holds the track record at 28.88.

Beast Unleashed raced only 15 times for 10 wins including the Group 2 Launching Pad at Sandown.

Wow was one of the country’s best sprinters, winning Group race races in NSW and Victoria including the Topgun at The Meadows and the Paws Of Thunder at Wentworth Park.

The following year he ran second in the Paws behind She’s A Pearl.

He showed his versatility on all tracks by winning consecutive Goulburn Cups and still holds the track record there and at Nowra.

Trying to win consecutive Gosford Cups has proved difficult in the past.

In 2017 Knight Sprite finished second after winning it in 2016, then Cosmic Bonus won in 2018 before running third in 2019.

Wow finished third in 2022 after his win the previous year.

It will be up to Punter’s Bandit if he starts in the race to break this hoodoo.

The late John Finn has been the only trainer to win the cup twice, with Prince Diablo in 2012 and Zipping Kyrgios in 2022.

Kyrgios ran in 16 Group finals winning five and had 33 overall career wins.

In 2020 Kid Candle won the Gosford Cup for Geoff Grimwood in only one of two Group finals he contested.

The other was a third in the Group 1 Vic Peters at WP.

History shows the class has really drifted back into the Gosford Cup over the last five years.

There are plenty of Group chasers who look suited to the Central Coast track including Quantifiable and Nangar Jim, the quinella runners of the Goulburn Cup.

The race this year is sponsored by Peter Lagogiane who has Beast Unleashed at stud and the heats will be decided on Boxing night.