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By Ray Hickson

Trainer Craig Weeding says all credit will go to Prince Of Helena if the evergreen gelding can become the first horse to win three Narrandera Cups on Sunday.

Trainer Craig Weeding

He’s given the eight-year-old an identical lead up to the one he used last year, running at 1400m at Sandown then the Swan Hill Cup at 1600m and the David Bourne over 1620m at Flemington.

And his third in the Swan Hill Cup and his last start effort behind the smart Jimmy The Bear tell Weeding the historic threepeat in the $70,000 Community Bank Narrandera Cup (1600m) is within his reach.

Aside from Prince Of Helena, since 1977 the only other horses to go back-to-back are Walk the Beat (2004-05) and Sonro (2012-13).

“Those races have all suited him, he’s run well in those races and at those tracks,’’ Weeding said.

“It’s worked before so we’ve stuck with the same program.

“I think he’s going as good as he’s gone, and as good as he goes.

“Last year he had good form behind Munhamek, who was probably the leading horse at the mile, and now he’s got pretty good form behind Jimmy The Bear. So I think he has the right form to give it a shake.”

The Cup is a Big Dance eligible race and the gelding finished near the tail of the field in his two attempts in the $3 million race.

Prince Of Helena didn’t win a race between his 2023 and 2024 Narrandera Cup successes and he’s in the situation heading into the 2025 edition.

The Wangaratta trainer said even with the 60kg he has this year, up 2.5kg on a year ago but down 3kg on 2023, he’s always competitive in races of this nature.

“Because he’s up in the ratings it’s a suitable race, he’s probably a tier below the top Melbourne races,’’ he said.

“He runs well, third or fourth or fifth, and just needs to be that tier down. We didn’t measure up in the Big Dance then he came back and ran good races in the Tatura Cup and Wodonga Cup.

“He’s a reliable horse who keeps turning up every season.”

The presence of noted front runners Not Usual Glorious and Zouatica suggests to Weeding the Narrandera Cup will be run to suit his horse and might offset the possibility of barrier one working against him.

“He loves to have one to follow and have to chase down, and I think there’s enough speed in the race to get that,’’ he said.

“The concern is being boxed in and not being able to get out but at Narrandera they usually fan and every horse gets their chance. If he’s going good enough he’ll get his chance.

“Hopefully we’re not doing much work on the inside and have the last crack at them.”

Prince Of Helena wins the 2024 Narrandera Cup

Weeding said stablemate Yam is likely to go looking for a heavy track at Bendigo as he chases four straight wins but he’ll have Big Day Out lining up in the Eurell’s & Yamaha Golf Cars Narrungdera Yarraman Sprint (1000m).

The seven-year-old won at Narrandera back in 2022 and found winning form at Wagga three weeks ago.

“He’s another one who has been a really good horse for me, we’ve had him since he was two and he’s won over $300,000. He’s won two this prep as a seven-year-old,’’ he said.

All the fields, form and replays for Sunday’s Narrandera meeting