Barman still has thirst for cup
Evergreen kiwi stayer Who Shot Thebarman will attempt to make it fourth time lucky when he lines-up in the Melbourne Cup at Flemington tomorrow.
Last season’s Sydney Cup winner has an enviable record in the big two-miler having placed third at his first attempt in 2014 and fifth in 2016.
At an age when most horses have lost the edge to compete at the highest level, the ten-year-old Chris Waller-trained gelding continues to delight his owners, the south Wanganui-based O’Leary brothers.
‘‘He really is a marvellous old horse and he is racing as well as ever,’’ Humphrey O’Leary said.
‘‘Typical of Chris Waller, he has the old boy peaking at just the right time.
‘‘His run for fourth in the Moonee Valley Cup at his last start was terrific and he drops another 2.5kgs from that run. We know he loves the two-mile journey and can go on any type of track, so we are thrilled he can have another crack at the race.’’
Fresh from attending the annual Melbourne Cup mass yesterday morning, O’Leary was quick to scotch any suggestion that tomorrow’s run might be the last for the A$4.58m earner.
‘‘We have had a talk about it but while he is going so well, we think there is a little more left in him,’’ he said. ‘‘As long as he pulls up sound then the target will be the Sydney Autumn carnival on his home patch.
‘‘He will tell us when he doesn’t want to be there anymore but he hasn’t given us any signs of that so far and it would be something special to maybe sign off in the Sydney Cup after he won it this year.’’
While O’Leary is looking forward to tomorrow he is also on a high after Ladies First, the sixyear-old Dylan Thomas mare he owns with wife Fiona, performed with distinction when running fifth in Saturday’s Lexus Stakes.
‘‘She went a cracker and was making up good ground over the concluding stages,’’ he said.
‘‘This really was a dress rehearsal for next year as the 2019 Melbourne Cup is definitely a target for her.
‘‘She is going to fly home now and we will set her for the Sydney Cup in the autumn.
‘‘We talked with Allan [trainer Allan Sharrock] about the Auckland Cup in March but he thinks it might be best to concentrate on just the one main target so that will be the Sydney race.’’ Meanwhile, a sparkling work-out at Flemington yesterday morning has confirmed kiwi galloper Sir Charles Road is ready to tackle his greatest challenge.
The Lance O’Sullivan and Andrew Scott trained five-yearold had his place confirmed in the Melbourne Cup (3200m) late on Saturday afternoon as owner David Archer agonised as to whether he would get the opportunity to have his second runner in Australasia’s great race.
Talented stayer Gallions Reach finished midfield for Archer in the 2009 Melbourne Cup won by Shocking, with the Auckland businessman noting the build-up and atmosphere around this year’s running of the race that stops a nation as markedly different to the one he experienced nine years ago.
‘‘I’m not sure what it is but coming back here this time has been very different to what it seemed back then,’’ he said.
‘‘I think it probably has something to do with the influx of European horses as everything seems bigger and far more intense.
‘‘One thing that you really notice is the large number of people who congratulate you just on making the field, let alone actually doing well in the race itself.
‘‘It was quite surreal as we waited to see if we had made it as there wasn’t that much information available and they don’t confirm things until very late on Saturday afternoon.
‘‘We thought we were safe but until you see your name on the board where the barrier draw takes place you don’t really know.’’