Grinning Punter leads home charge for Cup

Border harness racing identities Glenn Teesdale and Craig English are hoping to celebrate back-to-back New Year’s Eve Cup victories at Albury on Sunday.

The pair had shares in last year’s winner Amanda Von, now in foal, trained by Albury’s Hellen Scott, and have turned to Grinning Punter to produce the same result 12 months later.

Grinning Punter started even money favourite before running third to its stablemate in the marquee event last season, but has had three race wins and a number of minor placings since.

Teesdale believes the six-year-old New Zealand-born gelding is better positioned for victory this time around, but will have plenty of competition. 

“Our stablemate Magicnracing will be very hard to beat, as will Steve Duffy’s Special Dream,” Teesdale said.

“It (Special Dream) was a horse that could hardly win a race and its won four or five this year.

“Magicnracing has had one start from a spell and he’s the kind of horse that if he finds the front he’s hard to beat.

“Last year was really his (Grinning Punter’s) first full season of racing for us in Australia.

“He had his few niggling problems last season, so hopefully this year he’ll be full-on.”

Teesdale said the plan is to race Grinning Punter around the region for a few more months, before chasing higher class wins in Sydney. 

“If he can win a couple of races in Sydney he could possibly end up in America,” Teesdale said.

“If you can win an MO or M1 (class race) in Sydney, you can look to on-sell your horse to America, which is what we’re hoping with Grinning Punter.

“His last win was in Wagga back in May and then we challenged him a bit and took him to Menangle a couple of times in searing heat and he didn’t like it.

“His last two runs (fourth and seventh) don’t look too crash hot because we were probably chasing one more win out of him when he needed to go to the paddock.”

Grinning Punter will be one of six horses from the Scott stable in action, including Magicnracing and Blade, also in the Cup.

An added incentive for trainers on the night is the chance to win a $3000 travel voucher.

Every horse nominated at the meeting acts an entry into the draw

“It’s fantastic to see the sponsors support the club on this big night and at every other meeting,” Albury Harness Racing Club president Sue van de Ven said.

By Beau Greenway

Reprinted with permission of The Border Mail