Sir Lucan defies odds to secure second Winter Cup
Sir Lucan staged racing's ultimate form reversal to achieve something no stayer has managed in more than 60 years at Rosehill Gardens on Saturday.
The Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott-trained Sir Lucan became the first horse since Royal Bark in 1962-63 to win successive Winter Cups (2400m).
The only other horse to win two Winter Cups was Destiny's Kiss and those triumphs were six years apart – 2013 and 2019!
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But Sir Lucan was coming off a long last when resuming in the Lord Mayor's Cup two weeks ago although he was obviously a different horse second-up from a spell.
Adam Hyeronimus, one of Sydney's in-form jockeys, has ridden Sir Lucan in both his Winter Cup wins and said to connections: 'Can you book me for the horse in this race next year!'
Sir Lucan ($21) finished strongly to run down stablemate Bear On The Loose ($3 favourite) to win by three-quarters of a length with Hopeful ($31) a long neck away third.
Hyeronimus rode a stalking race on Sir Lucan, not dissimilar to how he rode the gelding last year, tracking Bear On The Loose into the straight then seizing control of the Winter Cup near the line.
'It was a good win. I had to use him to get to the spot I wanted and I got there and after that it was just a matter of keeping him in a rhythm, keeping him relaxed,'' Hyeronimus said.
'He can sprint once he has a soft, economical run but he had to do it early and he's had to carry 57kg today in this race so he's done a good job and he was tough late.''
Waterhouse and Bott's stable representative Neil Paine declared: 'He loves the Winter Cup, Sir Lucan.''
'It was a great ride from Adam Hyeronimus,' Paine said.
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'Bear On The Loose is a horse you can't hold up, you have to let him run along. Young Zac Wadick rode him an absolute treat and it was good to see him fight out the finish.
'But Adam was right on his tail, knew exactly where he was going and got out at the right time.
'It's just great for Sir Lucan, I don't think he has won in between this year and last year. Where do we go from here? Let's just take this win today and see how we go.''
Sir Lucan was the second leg of a feature race staying double for Waterhouse and Bott after they prepared Campaldino to win the Group 2 Brisbane Cup at Eagle Farm.
The big-race brace gives the trainers 35 Group or Listed wins this season equalling their previous best stakes haul set in 2023-24 – and there's still six weeks of the current season remaining.
Monique and Adam Annetts are part-owners of Sir Lucan and are hoping the stayer's return to winning form is a sign of things.
The couple flew to England last night to attend the famous Royal Ascot carnival and watch their sprinter, Storm Boy, contest the Group 1 Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Cup (1200m) next Saturday night.
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'We're very excited to win the Winter Cup again and the owners are flying over to London tonight,'' Paine said.
'Monique and Adam, they're jumping on a plane to go and see Storm Boy run next Saturday. If they were flying economy they will be flying first class now.'
Storm Boy, formerly trained by Waterhouse and Bott, is now with Irish maestro Aidan O'Brien after Coolmore purchased a majority share in the colt.
Sir Lucan was born and bred at Coolmore in Ireland and raised within sight of the life-size bronze statue of Sadler's Wells.
That is more than fitting given the Tulloch Lodge stayer carries a 3x3 double cross of the stallion that has shaped the European and world thoroughbred scene for decades.
On top of that, Sir Lucan is a third generation direct descendant of Urban Sea who almost single-handedly disproved the theory that 'champion mares never throw champions horses'.
Urban Sea won Europe's most prestigious race, the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, then in the breeding barn produced four Group 1 winners including two great champion racehorses and stallions, Galileo and Sea The Stars.
Galileo (2001) and Sea The Stars (2009) both won the English Derby, a feat that Sir Lucan's father Camelot (2012) also managed during his stellar racing career.
Originally published as Imported stayer Sir Lucan achieves historic feat with back-to-back Winter Cup Victories at Rosehill
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