FULL FIELD TO FACE THE STARTER IN THE MURRAY BRIDGE GOLD CUP. ST LAWRENCE COULD BE THE PICK

By Graham Potter | Thursday, October 1, 2026

A jammed-packed, full field of sixteen runners will face the starter in the $150 000 Murray Bridge Gold Cup on Saturday, where the betting indicates an open market with the two main fancies, St Lawrence and Cicala, quoted at easy to back odds of $5 closely followed by Air Assault on $7.50 and Snoopy Now at $8.

Another five runners are quoted at odds of $14 and under … underlining the seemingly highly competitive nature of the contest.

So, let’s take a look at the top four runners in the betting, starting with the joint favourites.

The Gavin Bedggood trained St Lawrence has been campaigning in Victoria, and he comes into the race as a last start winner, at Flemington no less, where he scored in the Vic/Tas Trophy over 1700m.

The horse he beat into second place there, Ziryab, franked that form by coming back a winner his next start, as did Future History, the horse who finished third that day, who went on to finish second behind Royal Supremacy in the Group 3 JRA Cup at Caulfield last Sunday.

St Lawrence had put the writing on the wall for that win with a runner-up finish at Sandown in the race leading up to that victory … so his form is tracking in the right direction and he looks very well placed in a race like this with Noel Callow to ride.

For her part, The Will Clarken & Charlotte Sorby trained Cicala finished fourth as a beaten favourite in the Balaklava Cup in her last start.

The daughter of Tamasa, who is a four time winner from only ten starts, gained a highly creditable result three runs back when claiming a second place finish in the Group 3 Behemoth when finishing less than a length behind the talented Sir Now, who franked that form by winning the Listed W H Wylie at his next start.

The query with Cicala is that, as good as she has been on occasions, particularly at the start of her career where she won three on the trot, including the Listed Lightning Stakes, she has not won since August 2025. In fairness, she did have eight months off after that win, but the fact remains that she does appear to be struggling to put that next win on the board.

She is shown due respect on the betting boards though for what she can produce at best.

Cicada will have her regular jockey Rochelle Milnes in the saddle.

The Andrew Gluyas trained Air Assault, finished second in his last two starts … in the Leon McDonald Stakes over 1400m and the Balaklava Stakes over 1600m (both Listed races) … which were really good efforts as can be noted by the fact that he carried 5,5kg more than the winner in the Balaklava Stakes and was only beaten by 1.22 lengths.

Significantly, he also carried 6kg more than Cicada in that race and beat that runner, who is shorter in the betting than him on Saturday, by 1.10 lengths on the day.

While Air Assault is 0,50 length better off at the weights with Cicala this time around, which suggests he should hold that advantage, he still has to lump the top weight of 59.5kg over the 1600m trip and will have to do that jumping from the extreme outside draw. Never an easy task.

Jason Holder, who has ridden Air Assault in his last four start, again will guide Air Assault from the saddle.

The Darryl Hewitt trained Snoopy Now did manage a close-up third place finish last time out which could hint at better things to come although, overall, his form over the last three months has generally seen him finish on the fringe of the placings, suggesting he might have to find a couple of lengths if he is to have a major say in the outcome on Saturday.

Joe Bowditch takes the ride.

Chances are that the ultimate winner of this year’s Murray Bridge Gold Cup will need to have things go their way in terms of luck in the running in the sixteen strong field and, if all of the main fancies do find trouble, according to the betting, these are the next runners in line to claim the prize … Say On Ice ($10), Florey ($10), Williamsburg ($11), Bootlegger ($12) and I Catchem Fox ($14).