3 minute read

Trainer Matt Dale is confident a big weight will be no barrier for Kiptanui ($6 on TAB) as his consistent campaigner goes in pursuit of consecutive wins for the first time in his career at Kembla Grange on Saturday.

Trainer Matt Dale ​​​​ is confident a big weight will be no barrier for Kiptanui ($6 on TAB) as his consistent campaigner goes in pursuit of consecutive wins for the first time in his career at Kembla Grange on Saturday.

The Goulburn conditioner will bring his son of Deep Field  to the coast for the Canadian Club Conditional Benchmark 68 Handicap (1600m).

Dale was hoping to use apprentice Hannah Williams' 3kg claim on Kiptanui but she will be unable to get down to Kembla in time as she has been booked to ride stablemate Penthouse in a Highway race at Rosehill Gardens at around the same time.

Nick Heywood  has instead been tasked with Kiptanui with a topweight of 60kg.

"We will carry the full weight but Nick knows him quite well," Dale said.

"He will be competitive again. It's the sort of a race where he will run well in it.

"He is an old timer for the stable and has run well in a couple of country Cups for us already, winning a couple, and has been competitive in town."

After a couple of runs to get the cobwebs out, Kiptanui was back to his best third-up from a spell when chalking up a sixth career win in the Ted Ryder Benchmark 82 Handicap (1675m) at Wagga.

Kiptanui will need to bring to an end a couple of winning streaks if he is to win again on Saturday.

The Barbara Joseph Paul Matt Jones -trained Nieces And Nephews ($3.80 favourite) has put together a hat-trick of wins at his last three starts including a last start win at Kembla.

Paul and Martha Cave's Donegal Lights ($4) has won his past two nicely at Nowra.

If all goes to plan for Kiptanui this weekend, he will back up eight days later in a bid to add a third Country Cup to his resume at Cowra.

"We will back him up most likely in the Cowra Cup on Sunday week." Dale said. "It's a standard country Cup (no Big Dance qualification) that is a little bit more his style of race. That's about where he sits."

Kiptanui won last year's Narrandera Cup and was runner-up in the Parkes Cup earlier this year before taking out the Ted Ryder Cup at his last start.

Kembla's seven-event card jumps from 1.53pm on Saturday.