Barriers present a challenge for big guns in Merino Cup

Nerano will chase the $60,000 Merino Cup at Goulburn's Carnival of Cups on Sunday. Photo by Club Menangle.

In-form pacer Nerano will have to come from the outside of the back row in his bid to land a winning hat trick in Sunday’s Goulburn Soldiers Club Merino Cup.

The $60,000 feature at Goulburn is the final leg of Harness Racings NSW's Carnival of Cups series and has drawn a strong field including several Group 1 performers.

The Merino Cup (2760m) is run with a preferential barrier draw system in place meaning Nerano and the other big guns in the race will start from the second row while some in-form rivals get their chance to take a step up in class with the aid of the front line draws.

Nerano looks the form runner having won his last two outings at Menangle but drew low in both of those so Sunday's barrier will pose more of a challenge.

Jason Grimson's gelding has taken great strides in the last six months however, winning two Inter Dominion heats late last year to show that he is up to the top level.

One of those was over 2680m so the distance of the Merino Cup holds no fears and he will be at peak fitness fourth up so he looks hard to hold out with even luck.

Max Delight has been a model of consistency in good races this time in, already landing a Carnival of Cups event at Young along with a Bendigo Cup win and twice placing behind Leap To Fame.

He chased Nerano as runner up at Menangle last start but beat him home in winning the Renshaw Cup at Penrith two back and won his only start at Goulburn, which came on debut way back in 2018.

His achievements since then include at Victoria Cup, a NSW Derby and a Breeders Crown so he certainly knows how to win a high-pressure race.

Locally-trained Taipo comes into the race first up but showed strong form last time in, beating Spirit Of St Louis in a Menangle win three back before a fifth to Leap To Fame in a Hunter Cup.

He has yet to win fresh but two trial wins suggest he will be ready to go.

Don Lou is one of several on the front row who take a step up in grade for the Merino Cup but he has earned his chance with four wins in a row at Menangle, the last two from wider barriers.

He led in both of those so is likely to push forward again and his form is hard to knock.

Line Up was a two-time Derby winner as a three-year-old and while he's had his problems since he comes into this off a win, taking out the Walla Walla Stakes at Goulburn last Sunday.

That was his first outing for seven weeks so it should have improved him and he has won both previous attempts at this longer distance.

Blazing Home had been a model of consistency before a well-deserved win at Menangle last week when he came from a similar barrier.

He'll need to go to another level on Sunday but he is reliable and drawn to be competitive.

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