Aussie stayer being lined up for NZ Cup loot
Kiwi stayers have been winning the big cheques in Australia for years so Henry Dwyer wants to turn the tables.
The Victorian trainer sprang a surprise when he nominated Group I winning stayer Sonntag for the Group III New Zealand Cup at Riccarton.
Dwyer says Sonntag has been set for the $225,000 race for several months.
The trip to Riccarton is not set in stone but looks likely.
Dwyer said Sonntag, winner of the 2014 Group I Queensland Derby, was not quite up to the quality required for the top spring staying races around Melbourne so he went looking for other options and found Riccarton.
‘‘The only race for him here that we thought he would be competitive in over spring was the Sandown Cup, which is on the Sunday after the New Zealand Cup [November 15] and the New Zealand Cup is worth about $90,000 more so we thought why not chance our arm over there,’’ he said.
Two starts back, on May 23, Sonntag won a listed 3200m race at Flemington so the same distance at Riccarton should be no problem.
‘‘He’s probably a genuine Saturday class stayer over here and that’s probably all you need to win the New Zealand Cup,’’ Dwyer said. That statement was no disrespect to the opposition in the New Zealand Cup, just the reality of racing, according to Dwyer.
Flights are already pencilled in and Dwyer has an unraced Pins filly, Strangest Dream, nominated for the Group I 1000 Guineas.
New Zealand-born apprentice Michael Dee, who rode Sonntag to victory at Flemington, will be back on this side of the Tasman to ride him in the New Zealand Cup.
Sonntag currently heads the nominations with 102 rating points and is a joint second favourite in the futures market at $12 with Celebrity Miss. Benzini holds favouritism at $6. Dwyer said many of Sonntag’s 17 owners were looking at making the trip to Riccarton.
The 5-year-old gelding by Irish sire Teofilo has won five races from 18 starts, with three placings.
‘‘He’s a dead set two miler,’’ Dwyer said.
The Victorian trainer purchased Sonntag – who was then unplaced from three starts – for A$56,000 at the Inglis Tried Horses sale in August of 2013.
A syndicate that includes racing broadcaster Shane Anderson was put together and Sonntag has gone on to win close to A$700,000.
A second Australian runner, Jiayuguan, trained by John Thompson at Warwick Farm, also remains in the New Zealand Cup nominations.