By Glenn Davis
Steve Tregea’s lethal home town strike rate will be put to the test when Champagne Aunty attempts to give the trainer his first Toowoomba Cup winner on Saturday.
Tregea has one of the best strike rates among his fellow Toowoomba trainers with seven wins from 17 starters this season at Clifford Park – going at 41 per cent.
Champagne Aunty has been in brilliant form this campaign, completing a hat-trick of wins at Eagle Farm last month.
However, the five-year-old mare blotted her copybook after tailing off last in a field of nine behind the Tony Gollan-trained Miami Fleiss in the Pink Ribbon Cup at the Gold Coast last week.
Tregea wasn’t disappointed with Champagne Aunty’s last start effort as she was dropping back sharply in distance from an 1825-metre win in a Class 6 to 1300-metres in the Pink Ribbon Cup.
“She had a bit of a setback after she won at Eagle Farm when she kicked a wall and hurt her leg,” Tregea said.
“She had a few runs over 2000 metres so I put her in the Pink Ribbon Cup at the Gold Coast last week hoping it would freshen her up a bit.
“She had a good hit out in the Pink Ribbon and she went to the line well.
“I think she’s a very good chance in the Toowoomba Cup as she’s won over 1850 metres there when she led all the way.”