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There are no out-and-out superstars in tomorrow night’s $50 000 Shepparton Gold Cup and that leaves more questions than answers about the outcome of the race.

Questions such as: Can premier trainer Geoff Webster produce his second cup winner in three years with his double-pronged attack of Our Arlington and Washmepockets?

Could Avenel mentor David Aiken enjoy successive cup wins with either of his two chances, Composed and Smudge Bromac?

Can recent Cobram Cup winner Choise Achiever, the only handicapped runner in the race and the pacer with the most impressive standing start record, repeat that win from a 20m handicap?

Can poleliner Mustang Mach, after choking down in the Bendigo Cup and almost coming to grief, bounce back and make full use of his barrier one draw?

Will the only reinswoman in the race Kerryn Manning upstage the males with her genuine chance, Our Blackbird?

These are just some of the genuine and intriguing cases to be made about nearly all 12 runners in the marquee event and punters face a real challenge in sorting out the placegetters.

But if Mustang Mach has suffered no mental scars from his unpleasant Bendigo Cup experience, he is going to be tough to beat.

He trialled at Geelong on Monday to be eligible to start in the race and trainer Dean Braun is confident he can step away cleanly.

Leading reinsman Chris Alford could also have given punters a lead by electing to drive Mustang Mach instead of Composed.

Winning form is good form and Our Arlington is shooting for four straight wins, so is going to be hard to toss despite the fact he has to overcome a second row draw.

Goulburn Murray harness racing fans will still have the memory of Our Arlington’s stablemate Washmepockets’ incredible run in the Cobram Pacing Cup.

If he repeats a run like that he’ll also be in the finish.

Lance Justice was also upbeat this week about his runner Toulouse Lautrec, who is likely to be at generous odds, declaring he was ‘‘low flying’’.

There is a strong case for just about every runner and it should be another memorable cup.

Gus Underwood’s selections

1. Mustang Mach, 2. Our Arlington, 3. Washmepockets, 4. Choise Achiever.

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