Caption: 2021 Temora Cup winner Mr Ticket collected for Andy Lord’s kennel. (Photo: Lachlan Naidu)
By GARY CLARK
THIS month’s Temora Cup has a record first prize of $40,000, may not be a Group race, but still attracts quality.
Trainers from leading kennels still support the race going back to 2000 when Andy Lord won the first of his two cups, the second coming two years later.
The Alan Pringle-trained My Kinda Music had only 21 career starts, but two of his 11 wins were in the heat and final of the 2014 Temora Cup, running 25.94 both times.
He had seven Wentworth Park starts for three wins, then went to Victoria for three runs and was second in the Group 2 Bendigo Cup final before being retired three runs later.
In 2015, Dennis Barnes won his first Cup when All Too Fancy scored and also was retired two starts later after winning 15 races.
The country flavour continued in 2016 when Marbo’s Magic won his heat and final for Paul Braddon.
Marbo’s Magic was a great chaser, winning 33 races from 63 starts. He collected the Group 2 Maitland Cup at just his 12th start and made the final of two Victorian Group races – the Warrnambool Classic and Shepparton Cup.
The following year To The Galo’s won for Phillip Smith. The dog was an iron chaser having raced 142 times for 43 wins. He won the Group 2 Warrugul Cup, was third in the Group 2 Warrnambool Cup and made the final of the Horsham Cup at the same level.
The race gained TAB status in 2018 with $10,000 to the winner.
Craig Tuntler’s Nitro Blast took the cash in the only feature race he contested in his 30-start career.
A year later Ample Warning, trained by Graham Glass, won the only major race he contested in his 25 starts.
Dennis Barnes collected his second cup win in 2020 when Nangar Diva won by a touch more than three lengths in 25.71s. She had a great career winning 20 races from 55 starts and was involved in Group 1 finals in three states.
She finished third in the Golden Easter Egg and made the final of the Sapphire Crown at Sandown.
As Covid hit, the first prize in 2021 was lifted to $15,000, prompting Andy Lord to make a full-on assault on the race with five runners qualifying – Sarita, Opal Rocks, Winlock On Top, Ritza Donald and Mr Ticket.
The big black-and-white chaser Mr Ticket won to give Lord his third cup.
Mr Ticket was no stranger to big race finals, having made the Group 3 Goulburn Cup behind Wow and the Group 2 Gosford Cup.
The dog was eventually sent to South Australia to Ben Rawlings in January 2022 where he is still racing.
Last year the Lord kennel chased a fourth cup with She’s A Pearl and Sacred Stance.
It was a hot race, probably the deepest of the cup’s history. She’s A Pearl won from Subtle Art and Castle Warrior, starting a memorable year in NSW.
At the time of writing, She’s A Pearl has had 29 wins from 47 starts for $1.6 million in prizemoney.
This year’s race, on Sunday, March 12, has a first prize of $40,000, coming in line with most TAB tracks in the state. Certainly, the Lord kennel will be aiming to win a fifth Temora Cup, but the competition will be hotter than ever.
