Bear On The Loose poised to spoil Sir Lucan's hopes of back-to-back Winter Cups

The Age

a day ago

In-form jockey Adam Hyeronimus, who has had six city doubles since May 3, rode Sir Lucan to victory last year and is aboard again. Sir Lucan carries a kilogram less than in 2024, but he is drawn wider.
'It had a very economical run last year [from gate seven],' Hyeronimus said. 'It's drawn 12 but if it can end up in a nice spot, he'll run a very nice race. He just needs to ridden conservatively, and to settle through the race, and it can win.'
Bear On The Loose was a $3.50 favourite, from gate 10 with Zac Wadick to wide, for the Winter Cup. With Hyeronimus aboard, Bear On The Loose was a gritty half-length second last start to Glory Daze in a benchmark 88 2000m race on a heavy Randwick surface three weeks ago. He drops 5.5 kilograms to 53kg for Saturday's test.
'He's been very good and is versatile in all conditions,' Bott said. 'He seems in good shape but is up in grade and trip again, but I think he's going well.'
Assailant ($6) is another great chance for the stable and Hyeronimus. The four-year-old import was third at Canterbury when first up in Australia and has gate eight for the 2000m benchmark 78 handicap.
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'I thought it was very good on debut and I think he'll improve nicely off the back of that,' Bott said. 'The distance should suit, so looking forward to seeing it step out. He's a nice, progressive stayer.
'Adam is riding well at present and we love supporting Adam. He's always been a big part of the stable, so I'm sure he can hold that form over the spring as well.'
Ganbare was a $23 chance for Bott-Waterhouse in the sixth, a benchmark 78 over 1500m.
'It's still a bit short of his best, but we are looking for the right track conditions for him,' Bott said. 'He's not that effective in the heavy going.'
At Eagle Farm, the Bott-Waterhouse team has chances at higher honours, with Campaldino the $2.80 favourite in the group 2 Brisbane Cup, Farnicle ($10) in the group 1 JJ Atkins, The Instructor ($17) in the $3 million Stradbroke Handicap and New Endeavour ($5) in The Q22.
Snowden hopes lightning strikes twice for Touristic at Rosehill
Randwick trainer Peter Snowden says Touristic's dominant Lord Mayors Cup (2000m) win – his first in almost a year – was no fluke, and he is confident the six-year-old can back it up in the Winter Cup (2400m) on Saturday at Rosehill.
But he needs all the favours again.
'He's done well,' Snowden said. 'He had everything go right for him the other day, but he's that sort of horse, too. He needs things to go his way, with the right track, the right draw and right sort of run, and he should get that on Saturday.
'He's drawn two on Saturday and he should get a soft track again. There's nothing wrong with his work, and it was no fluke either. He'd been running well without winning, so hopefully he can put two together.'
Touristic, a son of champion sire Frankel, has just three wins in 29 starts since coming to Australia, but he has placed another nine times.
Snowden said soft tracks were the key to success for Touristic, which was a $4.50 Sportsbet chance off his two-length victory in the Lord Mayors Cup at Rosehill on heavy going. Andrew Adkins has the ride again.
'He's been in a lot of good races and been running really well, best sectionals in the race and that sort of thing,' Snowden said. 'But he's hit some firm tracks. His Canberra Cup run was enormous, on a rock-hard track. But he's been going super and things are now starting to fall into place.'
Snowden also had Hopper and Wave Breaker down to race at Rosehill, but he said both would likely be kept for another week because of wide draws.
King Of Roseau will run in the seventh, a benchmark 78 handicap over 1300m and was an $11 hope. The Capitalist three-year-old was last on a heavy Randwick track on May 24 but was second to Step Aside and Raikkonen in his two runs leading into that on soft going.
'He's back to 1300 here, and that track at Randwick was too difficult for him, and that was the only bad run he's put in,' he said. 'But we've put the winkers back on for Saturday and I think that will help get up there a bit closer, and he's not without a chance.
'He's been running really well, getting beat half a head and a nose twice, then that heavy track the other day, I took a punt that he could handle it, but he never went a yard in it. But he's had plenty of time to get over it.'