Jockey Steven Arnold and trainer Patrick Payne will combine for their first Devonport Cup at Tapeta Park on Wednesday.
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Arnold and Payne are great mates and the jockey was keen to accept the offer to ride proven stayer Fieldmaster in the $100,000 Devonport Cup over 1880 metres.
It is a coup for the Devonport Racing Club to have the two Cox Plate-winning riders at Tapeta Park.
Payne won the 2002 Cox Plate aboard Northerly, and since retiring from the saddle, has established himself as a successful trainer at Plumpton in Victoria.
Arnold rode champion So You Think to win the Cox Plate in 2010 and during the 2012 Melbourne Cup carnival rode more winners than any other jockey.
Fieldmaster is one of three Victorians entered for the Devonport Cup but trainer Jarrod McLean confirmed yesterday that Scaredymac will be staying home to contest a race at Warrnambool on Sunday instead.
Spacecraft will be attempting to win his first race since September 2010 when he runs for Flemington trainer David Hayes.
Payne has also offered Arnold the ride on Cellarmaster in the $25,000 Quality Handicap (1150m).
McLean will run hardy sprinter Youbolt in the same race as he starts his Tasmanian campaign and Jacki Beriman will ride the six-year-old.
In-form stayer The Cleaner will carry topweight of 60 kilograms in the cup on Wednesday.
It is a rise of 6kg from when he was beaten favourite last year but since then he has won at Sandown and twice beaten local champion Gee Gees Blackflash in two lead-up runs this preparation.
The latest was at Mowbray on Wednesday night when he again led all the way in the Field Family Open Handicap (1600m).
Jockey Jason Maskiell has an unbeaten record on The Cleaner and said on Wednesday night he was conscious of not giving the five-year-old ``a gut buster'' with the Devonport Cup in mind.
Final acceptances for the Devonport Cup will be taken this morning and the barrier draw will be conducted on Sunday afternoon in conjunction with a calcutta function at the Tavern at Spreyton Park.