Sir Lucan has secured his place in racing history, becoming just the third horse in nearly 70 years to claim the Winter Cup on two occasions, with a tough performance at Rosehill on Saturday.
The Tulloch Lodge galloper turned the tables on his first-up run where he trailed the field throughout, producing a much-improved effort thanks to a bold ride from Adam Hyeronimus.
Drawn wide, Hyeronimus pushed forward to sit behind front-runner and stablemate Bear On The Loose ($3 favourite), then timed his run to perfection to overhaul him in the final stages. Sir Lucan ($21) held on strongly to win by three-quarters of a length, with Hopeful ($31) another long neck away in third.
“He loves the Winter Cup, Sir Lucan. He won it last year and he’s won it this year,” said Neil Paine, representing the stable.
“Bear On The Loose is a horse you can’t hold up and you have to let 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.”
Sir Lucan’s form has fluctuated, and Hyeronimus admitted he can be inconsistent, but said the key is letting him roll early and conserving energy mid-race.
“He needs to be ridden like that. It’s the same ride as in the race last year,” 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 57 (kilos) today in this race so he’s done a good job and he was tough late.
“Just book me for this race next year.”
The win may mark the start of a big week for Sir Lucan’s part-owners Adam and Monique Annetts, who flew to the UK following the meeting to watch Storm Boy contest the Group 1 Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes (1200m) at Royal Ascot.
The Annetts maintain a small share in the Coolmore-owned colt, previously trained by Tulloch Lodge.
“If they were flying economy they will be flying first class now,” Paine joked.
Sir Lucan joins Destiny’s Kiss (2013, 2019) and Royal Bark (1962–63) as two-time winners of the Winter Cup (2400m).
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