Showcause is attempting a feat last achieved 41 years ago in his bid to win successive New Zealand Cups at Riccarton tomorrow.
Showcause won the race last year with 52.5kg. He has 5kg more weight tomorrow with the same rider, Darryl Bradley.
Showcause, trained at Cambridge by Frank Ritchie, carried on to win the City of Auckland and Avondale Cups after his Riccarton success. His recent racing has been in Melbourne, where he finished third over 2500m at Flemington, fourth in the Geelong Cup (won by Dunaden) and fifth in the Lexus Stakes at Flemington.
The last winner of successive New Zealand Cups was Princess Mellay in 1970-71.
Titch and Zabene, who filled the minor placings behind Showcause last year, are among his rivals tomorrow.
The Auckland Cup winner Titch has been racing below his best. He beat one home in a seven-horse field on Wednesday. Trainer Kevin Myers schooled him over pony hurdles at Riccarton yesterday morning.
Zabene, who was runner-up to My Scot's Grey in the 2009 New Zealand Cup, won the Metropolitan Handicap (2500m) convincingly on the first day of the meeting. That continued a sound run of spring form for the 8yr-old. The last of his age to win the race was Sapio in 1998. Sapio was also successful three years earlier.
Yours, who ran fifth last year, and Blood Brotha (sixth) are also in the field tomorrow. Blood Brotha ran on solidly for fourth in the Metropolitan last Saturday. Yours is the mount of in-form Kelly Myers, who won the 2008 New Zealand Cup on Hoorang.
Noel Harris, who has won the race on Wake Forest (1999), Mike (2002), Pentathon (2006) and Everswindell (2007), has the mount on Seaflyte.
Crocodile Canyon has been rehandicapped 4.5kg to 60kg in the rating 90 1800m tomorrow for his win in an open 2000m on Wednesday.
El Chico, winner of the Stewards' Handicap in dashing style on Wednesday, has received a 2kg rehandicap in the open 1400m tomorrow. He won the corresponding race last year with 54kg.
The weather was fine in Christchurch yesterday and the track dried. It is expected to provide footing with the sting out of it. The race abandoned on Wednesday has been added to the programme as the first event of the day at 11.50am with TAB code 26.
