Les Vampires books berth in The Big Dance with Gosford Gold Cup win

News.com.au

10-05-2025

Racing's First Lady Gai Waterhouse turned back the clock, 32 years to be precise, to where it all started, collecting her fourth Gosford Gold Cup with Les Vampires joining an esteemed Tulloch Lodge honour roll.
On April 29, 1992, Waterhouse combined with Kevin Moses to take out the Group 3 Central Coast feature with the Queensland-bred gelding Moods.
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Waterhouse won two more Gosford Gold Cups in quick succession with Sprint By three years later and the aptly-named Iron Horse after that.
That pair would go on to win the Doncaster and Epsom respectively.
No doubt either or both of the dynamic duo, would have won a Big Dance had it been around then.
The $3m Big Dance over the Randwick mile on the first Tuesday in November is now the confirmed spring target for Pierro son Les Vampires according co-trainer Adrian Bott.
'He's a nice progressive type who has done an excellent job. 'He was quite dominant in the end,'' Bott said.
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'He had a good time down the back, Winona (Costin) probably needed to get going a little bit sooner than she was expecting but it's probably what he needed. He can hit a bit of a flat spot in his races and he looks vulnerable.
'He's never won by big margins but today he was able to put them away well over this trip so it has opened up more options for him going forward.''
Winning jockey Winona Costin played an instrumental role in Les Vampires Gosford Cup win, with a now trademark display of frontrunning riding.
'He had it his own way in front and Rachel (King) made a very smart move on her horse and put pressure on quite sharply but all credit to my horse, he was able to absorb that pressure and still finish off,'' Costin said.
'He is a lovely horse and he showed great acceleration when I needed it.'
Costin's efforts saw her own tally of winners for Tulloch Lodge rise to 120 out of her total 627 rides.
Les Vampires' weekend win took his earnings beyond $500,000 which marks a healthy return on investment on his $200,000 Inglis Easter Yearling Sale purchase price.
Born and raised at Coolmore, Les Vampires was the tenth foal of his Group 3 VRC Vanity Stakes winning mother, Musidora, who was herself sold for $1,000,000 at 2008 Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale.
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Les Vampires fighting finale denied Chris Waller what would have been his fourth Gosford Gold Cup yet the 14-time Premiership winning trainer would have been suitably pleased with the efforts of stablemates and placegetters, Etna Rosso ($13) and Mr Waterville ($51).
Former rodeo rider Braith Nock edged closer to milestones, one of them career defining, when steering French import Asgoodassobertgets to his sixth career win on Gosford Gold Cup undercard.
The win takes Nock's personal tally to 197.
More importantly, the victory edged him another win clear of Molly Bourke in what has become an arm-wrestle to decide who will be crowned Sydney's Leading Apprentice for the 2024/25 season.
Nock's Gosford victory was considerably more decisive by comparison; horse and rider streaking away late to win by 2½ lengths ahead of the local Kosuke ($31) with Archibald stablemate Junebug ($8) a further half-length away.
'He just did everything right today,'' Nock said.
'He travelled up into the race and put them away quite well.
'I was getting a few bumps from that three-wide runner, it got a bit tight once we started bending but I was able to get him out into the clear and just be really patient on him.'
The race wasn't without its share of drama, particularly for newlywed, absent, trainers Annabel and Rob Archibald.
The pair watched on from the Gold Coast as their race favourite Cormac T got himself cast in the barriers prior to the start and was duly scratched, albeit with no lasting injury done to himself.
Originally published as Les Vampires books berth in The Big Dance with Gosford Gold Cup win