Tutelage powers on to victory

TUTELAGE completed a stunning 18-month ride for connections with a fairytale win in the Cairns Cup.

Mossman owner Joe D’ADdona took a gamble when he purchased the gelding from the Godolphin draft in 2019 – but it paid off in a big way at Cannon Park on Saturday.

Tutelage engaged $2.40 favourite Namazu in a thrilling duel down the Cannon Park straight before kicking clear over the final 200m to win by a length over the fast-finishing Maquereau.

The five-year-old has been a revelation this preparation, winning five races and missing the placings on just two occasions from his 11 starts.

But Tutelage wasn’t always destined for success. The former James Cummings-trained gelding had more trials than actual race starts when he arrived at the Tolga yard of husband-and-wife training duo Janel and Ronnie Ryan in late 2019, and was more than 20 lengths off the pace in his latest trial at Rosehill Gardens.

To the untrained eye, Tutelage might have been considered somewhat of a donkey, but to D’addona he presented a good-value buy.