Trainers Craig Ferguson and Regan Todd will step out two winning threats in the 3200m feature tomorrow on the track where their successful careers began.
Ferguson made the recent Southland Harness Racing Awards his own thanks to a series of feature-race wins.
Though the Wyndham Cup does not carry the group race status that some of his recent success has come in, it rates right at the top of the trainer-driver’s list of races he would dearly love to win.
"Being a Wyndham local it is a race I would love to win.
"I have driven the winner of it before but to train one too would be a big thrill," Ferguson said.
Da Vinci must overcome a 30m handicap if he is to win the Wyndham Cup.
With the way the horse has been beginning in his standing-start races, he should give himself a chance to do just that.
"He has been going really good and his work along with that has been getting better as well," Ferguson said.
"I have been really happy with him and hopefully he can keep going as good as he has been."
Regan Todd treks south from Canterbury to his hometown to line up Play Philly in the feature tomorrow, while Ricky Gutsell adds more Wyndham flavour to the event with Still Rockin.
Ferguson starts Louies Girl in the Southern Oaks heat for the first time since a group 1 placing at Addington.
With just one trial under her belt, the 3yr-old is sure to improve, but Ferguson feels she is ready to be highly competitive.
"She has trialled nicely. We have probably gotten to this race a little bit earlier than we would have liked.
"But to line up in the last two heats of the series, she needs to be here."
"She is working well enough to go a nice race and she has got the speed to be getting over top of them.
"The small field should help her, too."
Cochise will have his first start for the Ferguson barn in the opening race.
After a trial win on the track, the trotter is set to start favourite in his debut.
"He did it nice enough and his work since that run has been nice."
"The only question is that he is a trotter and a first starter, so it will depend on how he handles his first time at the races."
Netherton Franco steps up in grade for the Ferguson barn in race 9.
Though she takes on better opposition than she has recently, she does so with her work on the up.
"She has always shown at home that she has the ability, but a couple of times there I have thought she might have gone a little bit better.
"She does seem, at this stage, to have turned the corner.
"Her win at Cromwell was good. She was waiting on them up the straight.
"I think from the draw, she is a player."
Ferguson takes several outside drives at Wyndham with Robyns Hustler looking a cheeky hope on the back of a handy last-start fifth.
