Finalists from heats on 3/3. Includes $200 Unplaced.
Prize money: $40000 / $8500 / $5500
The Ladbrokes Temora Cup has become an institution every March in the Riverina, and trainers from far and wide make the trek to compete in the feature event.
In 2020, a bout of the flu stopped trainer Dennis Barnes travelling from Cudal in the Central West to Temora, but he watched on television as his Bathurst Cup winner Nangar Diva added another piece of silverware to the trophy cabinet with a brilliant win.
Nangar Diva was Barnes' second win in the Temora Cup, having taken out the event in 2015 with All Too Fancy.
In 2021 Jodie and Andy Lord supplied five of the eight finalists for the Cup, and while four of them missed a place, their dog Mr Ticket arrived just in time to grab the leader Speaking Spanish and give the Lords their third Temora Cup, and their first in 19 years.
The Lords were back for another tilt at the Temora Cup in 2022, and all eyes were on their latest star She's A Pearl, a recent addition to the camp.
But it was anything but a one-dog race, with Victorian star Ferdinand Boy, and Bulli Cup winner Castle Warrior both impressive in their heats.
Castle Warrior led like he did at Bulli, but She's A Pearl moved into second and swinging for home powered alongside the leader then raced away for an impressive win, and Cup number four for the Lords.
They say good dogs win Cups, but great ones defend them and that's exactly what She's A Pearl did in 2023 when saluting in the big Temora feature for the second straight year.
The champ went under in her heat to Victorian sprinter Salad Dodger, but turned the tables on the Anthony Azzopardi chaser in the final, winning by two lengths in a time of 25.38 - a new track record over the Temora 457m.
