All is in readiness for this year’s Ladbrokes Sale Cup.
Thousands are expected to descend on Sale Turf Club this Sunday to witness country racing at its finest at one of Victoria’s premier racing facilities.
Speaking of facilities, Sale Turf Club has been busy in the time since the last Sale Cup, upgrading a number of facets around Greenwattle Racecourse.
The club wasted no time getting to work following last year’s cup, with course drainage works commencing literally days after Uncle Bryn crossed the line to win the 2022 Sale Cup.
Sale Turf Club’s reputation as being a nursery for future Group 1s has continued, with Uncle Bryn earning a place in last Saturday’s Caulfied Cup, before an unfortunate fetlock injury forced the six-year-old gelding to withdraw.
Uncle Bryn came from the shadows to win the 2022 Sale Cup, and within the space of 12 months, qualified for the Caulfield Cup after a brilliant ride in the MRC Foundation Cup, as well as a start in the Group 1 Turnbull Stakes.
Sale Turf Club’s most recent claim to fame – Giga Kick, was recently nominated for an Australian Racehorse of the Year award.
The sprinter experienced an incredible rise to stardom last year, after securing the first win of its career at Sale in February 2022.
Little more than eight months later, Giga Kick stunned the racing world by winning Australia’s richest race – the $15 million TAB Everest in a huge upset after paying close to $20 with most bookmakers.
Giga Kick adds to the proud collection along the Sale Turf Club’s Horse Walk, which acknowledges horses winning races at Sale in their early careers before going on to Group 1 glory.
The walk was established in 2018, and greets patrons as they walk into the venue.
There would not be too many people unfamiliar with champion mare Makybe Diva, who won three consecutive Melbourne Cups from 2003 to 2005. One of her early wins was at Sale in 2002, but her career would end as one of the greatest horses in Australian racing history.
It is not just high calibre horses however who have connections to Sale.
Retiring jockey Damien Oliver, arguably Australia’s greatest ever, rates Sale Turf Club as one of the best country venues in the state.
The three-time Melbourne Cup winning jockey will ride this year’s Spring Carnival before hanging up the silks.
He famously saluted the heavens after his 2002 Melbourne Cup win onboard Media Puzzle, days after his brother Jason died. Oliver also rode the winner of the Sale Cup, when Panoramic Lad saluted for Pay Hyland.
The win made it back-to-back Sale Cups for Oliver, following Oval Office winning in 2001.
Oliver has made a number of other appearances at Sale Turf Club, including at the inaugural Good Friday meeting last year, as well as the 2022 Sale Cup. His career at Sale reads: 226 rides, 48 wins, 39 seconds, 19 thirds, making for a 46 per cent place rate.
The $200,000 Sale Cup will carry a quality undercard, including heat seven of the Melbourne Cup Carnival Country Series, leading up to Oaks Day at Flemington.
This year’s cup will be the first since the before mentioned drainage works have been completed. Sale Turf Club’s most recent meeting on October, Wednesday 11, perhaps further emphasised the quality of those works, as the track was still graded a Good 4 despite more than 150 millimetres of rain falling the week prior.
As well as the track, further upgrades are set to be completed in the jockeys room, grandstand and horse stalls to name but a few.
Fine weather is predicted for Sunday, which will hopefully lead to a huge turnout.
Although most hospitality packages are booked out, there are still spots left in a couple of marquees for pundits to enjoy.
