Cup hope Pentathlon shooting for five in a row
08 Jan 2016In-form stayer Pentathlon will continue his Gr 2 Wellington Cup march at Awapuni on Saturday.
The Goodwood Stud-sold four-year-old will attempt to win his fifth consecutive race when he steps out in the Listed Marton Cup.
“He's pretty much right up to the mark,” trainer John Wheeler said.
“I always had the Marton Cup, City Of Auckland Cup or the Trentham Stakes in mind for him, but I only wanted to race him once going into the Wellington Cup.
“He's only a four-year-old. He's hard fit and I don't think he needs any more than one run.”
Pentathlon won at New Plymouth before he picked up a further two races at Riccarton during the New Zealand Cup carnival and continued his hot streak over 3200m at Trentham last month.
“I expect him to go well on Saturday, but it's not his target race,” Wheeler said.
“Our target is the Wellington Cup and he's right on track. I'd be rapt if he runs a nice race and gets to the line strongly. I still think he'll run in the first four. He's going well.”