Rhythm To Spare's Kilmore Cup

It has been great to see the talented - but not always lucky - Rhythm To Spare in such great form this spring, the lightly raced six-year-old a dominant winner at Flemington during Cup Week and taking that form to Sunday's Kilmore Cup.

Always travelling well in the $130,000 Listed contest, Rhythm To Spare worked forward from a tricky gate to sit second, taking over early in the straight and getting clear late.

In doing so the son of Pins recorded the eighth success of his 27 start career, one which has seen him amass just short of $500,000 in stakes for his happy owners led by R & C Legh Racing.

Now a dual stakes winner and a horse who has run nice races in Gr.1 company, Rhythm To Spare gave jockey Mark Zahra a good feel throughout.

"He was into a nice rhythm, he was very relaxed. Every time I asked him to pick up he did and I was very confident coming to the turn."

Michael Moroney was excited to win the Kilmore Cup, noting that the race was "one of the few Country Cups we had not won before."

"He deserved to win another race at stakes level," Moroney said, adding that Rhythm To Spare may now travel to Sydney for a crack at next month's Gr.2 Villiers Stakes.

"He has got good right-handed form and whilst he has raced well at longer trips he does seem to be at his best at the 1600m. And we think that he is up to

those off-season milers."

Hopefully the winning run can continue this week with three nice horses - Jackpot, Deckhand and Sound Works - contesting races at Bendigo and Warwick Farm on Wednesday.

A horse who has always displayed plenty of natural ability, Jackpot has been close up all three runs this time in but off a long break has taken a while to come to hand.

"He had been pleasing us with his work already but since his last run he has suddenly got even better. He should prove hard to beat."

Drawn nicely in barrier five in the Jayco Handicap, Jackpot will be ridden by Dwayne Dunn.

In the following race, the Adbri Masonry Handicap, we have Deckhand stepping up to 1600m second up with Daniel Moor aboard.

Not far away when resuming over 1450m at Kyneton, the son of Darci Brahma has progressed nicely but will be at his peak later over a bit longer.

"He can run a good race," Moroney said, "but we expect to him improve further."

Meanwhile in Sydney we have the lightly raced and promising filly Sound Works lining up in the Pro-Ride Handicap over 1400m with Tim Clark to ride.

Running encouraging races, not always having the best of runs, at her first three outings, the daughter of in-form stallion Not A Single Doubt is nicely primed for a rise in distance.

"And she has finally drawn a gate," Moroney said, noting that whilst she jumps from the inside barrier, the topweight Crystal Flute her beat her home last time is out wide.

"She is going really well and she looks a big chance from that draw."