Popular Griffith identity, restaurant owner, and racehorse trainer Gino D’Altorio wants to win a third Griffith Cup.
He first won the race in 2013 with Southern Districts Country Cups king Sonro (Joel Maconachie).
The Lonhro gelding was a 15-time winner for D’Altorio, and during a decorated career, he won the Young Cup (2012), Narrandera Cup (2012-13), Hillston Cup (2013), Tocumwal Cup (2014), Parkes Cup (2014), Forbes Cup (2014), and Dubbo Mile (2014).
D’Altorio won his second Griffith Cup in 2015, with Devious Fella (Rebeka Prest) taking out the time-honoured event.
On Saturday, D’Altorio wants to put a third Griffith Cup (1350m) on the mantlepiece, and he’ll start Foxy Gal (Emmy Ly, gate 3) and Sonattack (Brett Fliedner, gate 4) in the $16,000 feature.
“I’ve won two of them, and I want another one if I can,” D’Altorio laughed.
“The race might be a bit short for them, but they are both working well, and we’ve given them a freshen-up.
“Foxy Gal is a better horse, and she ran a big race at Wagga the other day, finishing sixth and was beaten six lengths in a good Benchmark 66 (Handicap) on a heavy track, and she had no claim.”
Owner of Giuseppe’s Restaurant and Bar, D’Altorio is a restaurateur first and a hobby trainer second, but he knows how to train a winner, and his horses know the Griffith racecourse better than most.
“They gallop there twice a week, and they know the track,” D’Altorio said.
“It’s a good track to race on, and the straight is around 350m to 400m, and it’s a good size.
“It’s good for front runners, but we can only have 12 staters, so there’s plenty of room to go around them, and horses can win from anywhere.”
Despite some wet weather in the region, Griffith has mostly avoided the rain, and the six-race program should be run on a good surface.
“The track is good, and the weather is good; it’s been a bit windy, but we haven’t had much rain at all,” D’Altorio said.
“It should be a good four or better, and I think it’s going to be a good day of racing.”
On a big day at Griffith, D’Altorio will have five runners.
Lake Tana (Coriah Keatings, gate 9) contests the 1200m Maiden Plate, Soul Benefit (Coriah Keatings, gate 11) will race in the 1200m Benchmark 50 Handicap, and Kinross (Brett Fliedner, gate 4) is set to be a major player in the 1000m Benchmark 50 Handicap.
“Kinross should go all right,” D’Altorio said.
“She’s fresh, and first-up over 1000m is right up her alley.
“Soul Benefit is the same; if she gets to the front, she’ll be hard to beat.”
As always, it’s a big day for the community of Griffith, with the meeting set to attract a big crowd.
There will be fashions on the field and entertainment, and for more on the meeting, click here.
For fields, click here.
