Durrant eyes sixth Albany Cup title

Lark Hill trainer Adam Durrant is brimming with confidence ahead of Sunday's $120,000 XXXX Gold 150th Celebrations Albany Cup (2100m) where he will chase a record-equalling sixth title.

Durrant has won five of the past six Albany cups after success with Peck (2014), Hibernian (2013), Double Barrel (2011) and Great Destiny (2009-10) in recent times.

A win on Sunday would lift Durrant to six victories alongside the legendary Don Morton, who has six Albany Cup wins as a trainer.

Geraldton Cup winner Ora Dare and Mt Barker Cup winner Marden will make up the two-pronged Durrant attack on the 2015 race, which filled the astute trainer with confidence.

"They are both in good order and both in-form," Durrant said.

"We have had a really good run in Albany and hopefully we can make it six.

"Both horses will be in it at the finish, so we go in confident."

Ora Dare, who ground out a narrow win in the $90,000 Geraldton Cup (2100m) last month, goes up 2kg in weight and was the pick of the two, according to Durrant.

"I am leaning slightly towards Ora Dare," he said.

"He is a pretty well-credentialed and he is only a five-year-old.

"He has been a really good horse already for connections and he might progress into a carnival horse.

"Hally (jockey Peter Hall) leant towards Ora Dare, which is understandable because he is a younger horse on the way up."

Marden comes into the staying feature after recording a half-length win over Backhouse Street in the $35,000 Mt Barker Cup (2000m) and Durrant said the gelding was in terrific order.

"We know where Marden is at but he is really competitive at this grade," he said.

The Trevor Andrews-trained Passo Del Prado, which finished second in the Geraldton Cup, has drawn ideally in barrier four and has the services of leading Great Southern jockey Shaun McGruddy.

Global Flirt is the top weight in the race with 59.5kg and has to overcome gate 11 while Darren McAuliffe will have claims with Ram Jam.

Albany trainer Paul Hunter has one of only two local runners in the race with The Danehill Rose to be ridden by his daughter Casey Hunter.