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Another potential place in the Big Dance at Randwick in November goes on the line on Sunday with the running of the $40,000 Ultra Fleet Gunnedah Showcase Cup (1600m).
The powerful training combination of Paul Messara and Leah Gavranich will be represented by the talented Akasawa ($2.60 favourite on TAB), with top jockey Aaron Bullock taking the ride.
Akasawa was an emphatic winner of the Gunnedah Cup 12 months ago when scoring by a big margin, also with Bullock in the saddle.
He then contested The Kosciuszko in which he finished seventh, before running 11th in the Big Dance, and then being a close-up fourth in the Country Classic at Rosehill before being spelled.
Akasawa won a trial at Scone over The Dramatist before resuming with a third behind Gringotts in the Tamworth Cup over 1400m.
Bullock looks to have a strong book of rides at Gunnedah, with Akasawa's stablemate, Regatta ($5.50), his mount in the Pursehouse Rural Country Boosted Benchmark 58 Showcase Handicap (1250m).
Regatta was a winner at Muswellbrook in November last year, and has had two trials leading into this return to racing.
Bullock has a key ride for trainer Cody Morgan in the shape of Casino Lord ($2.25 fav) in the Mannion Drilling Lightning Showcase Handicap (1000m).
Casino Lord will contest the Gunnedah event on the back of a last start win in the Wellington Town Plate, in which Bullock was also aboard.
Bullock will start the day at Gunnedah on the Michal Mulholland-trained favourite Foxwell ($2.10 fav) in the Happy 20th Year Autosmart Country Boosted Showcase Maiden Handicap (1250m).
Foxwell has had three runs back from a long spell and followed a resuming fourth at Scone with a second on the Riverside Track at Wagga, before a last start third as favourite at Parkes.
Bullock's remaining rides at Gunnedah are the Kim Waugh-prepared Global Encounter ($6) in the H & M Refrigeration Benchmark 58 Showcase Handicap (2150m), and Wild Flash ($3 fav) for trainer Patrick Cleave in the Courthouse Hotel Showcase Super Maiden Plate (1400m).
Wild Flash finished second at Hawkesbury two starts ago, and wasn't beaten far as favourite at Tamworth at his latest start.
