Dongara Irwin Race Club gear up for biggest event of the year, the Dongara Cup

The Dongara Irwin Race Club is gearing up for the return of the Dongara Cup after a two-year hiatus as trainers throughout the Mid West eye off the prize on Saturday.

The marquee race of the day, race five — the Swan Draught Dongara Cup — features a stacked field with locals and a few blow-ins throwing their best in for the cup.

Perth trainer Adam Durrant has brought up a few stable runners hoping to get his name on the winners’ list on Saturday with Mercurius featuring in the cup out of barrier four in the 1850m run.

Geraldton trainers Julia Martin, Ashley Maley, Graeme Hammarquist and Sean Rains, are also bringing down their contenders for the Cup.

Martin will have Mooniemia out of barrier six with Kristy Bennett on board in what looks to be a very winnable race for her stable.

Maley will feature with Arnie’s Boy, which will be ridden by Peta Edwards out of unfavourable barrier nine as Edwards looks to claim the win.

Hammarquist has Jiddo out of barrier one. The five-year-old gelding has underperformed in recent runs between the distances of 1600m to 2000m but will be hoping to change that in race five.

Rains will be looking for gold with Forbidden Apple ridden by Chris Nicoll. The four-year-old mare has impressed this season on a few occasions at Geraldton but has failed to be a consistent placing.

In-form horse Striking Fella, trained by Peter Bamford will be one to look out for out of barrier seven with an impressive last run at Geraldton with a place. After a great ride by jockey Ava Catarino, the pair meet once again hoping to claim the cup.

Kevin Mahoney’s Kentucky Blue is another horse coming off an impressive run at Geraldton, once again meeting with the same jockey that delivered that day in Joseph See.

Star jockey Austin Galati who comes off an Abrolhos Plate win will race for the Cup on board of Meryl Hayley’s Uni Queen. The pair have not ridden together before race five this Saturday but with Galati holding the reins they could disrupt the pack.

Beermullah will run out of barrier two with Casey Hunter on board. Trained by Tania Burns, the five-year-old gelding is coming off a placing at Narrogin and with a history of travelling should handle the new track in Dongara.

Rounding out the field is Arrow Song trained by Brett Mathews. Mathews has called on rising star apprentice Chanel Cooper, who will be looking to upset the field with an aggressive ride.

It is all to play for in the $30,000 Swan Draught Dongara Cup and with five other star-studded races featuring on the day, it is sure to showcase the best that provincial racing has to offer.