Dual Pressure ready to roll in Gawler Cup 2025

Local trainer Aaron Bain is confident that 2025 will finally be the year he conquers his hometown feature, the Gawler Cup, with in-form runner Dual Pressure leading his two-pronged assault on Friday’s race.

Bain, who trains in partnership with Ned Taylor at Angaston Park in the Barossa Valley, went agonisingly close in 2024 when Midnight Mass stormed home for second. This year, he returns determined to go one better in the race that means the most to his stable.

“It’s a race that eluded us last year so it’s no secret that we want to win it this year and make it a race that we feature in strongly every year, being our hometown Cup,” Bain said. “It’s not a Group 1 by any means, but it’s close to it in an emotional sense and there is great attachment to us to be able to win it. There is a lot of depth to it and it’s going to take a very good horse to win the race and there will be some hard luck stories.”

Bain purchased Dual Pressure for $220,000 via Inglis Digital late last year, and the five-year-old has wasted no time making his presence felt in South Australia. Formerly trained by Mathew Ellerton, the son of Denman has already scored over 1200m and 1400m and now steps to 1500m for the first time.

Bain believes the horse has the ability to stretch out to a mile and target next season’s Balaklava Cup and Murray Bridge Cup. “It’s no secret that we paid good money for him and, as a sound five-year-old now, he’s a horse that we see being able to run in these are the sort of races for two or three seasons,” Bain said. “We missed the Balaklava Cup and Murray Bridge Cup but Gawler looks the perfect race for him. He was having his first run over 1400m at Murray Bridge on Cup Day and he handled that so he moves to the 1500m at Gawler on Friday and if he can win or be very competitive, it sets him up for those (mile) races next year that we want to be a part of. He’s drawn a beautiful gate so we might land outside Air Assault or even in front, there are a few different speed maps.”

With local pride on the line and a talented horse ready to peak, Bain’s team looks well poised to make a serious impact in this year’s Gawler Cup.

Full race previews, markets, and betting odds can be found at Australia’s premier betting sites.