Forty-three stayers are left in the 2017 Group 1 $2m Schweppes Sydney Cup (3200m) at Randwick on April 8 at first acceptance time.
Our Ivanhowe, above is among the 43 first acceptors for the 2017 Sydney Cup at Randwick. Photo by Daniel Costello.
Sydney Cup top weight Our Ivanhowe and the lightly weighted Tom Melbourne are co-trainers Lee and Anthony Freedman’s first acceptors for the two mile staying contest on the second day of ‘The Championships’.
German import Our Ivanhowe, the winner of the Group 1 $650,000 Hardy Brothers Doomben Cup (2000m) at Doomben during the 2016 Brisbane Winter Carnival, is due to kick off his 2017 Sydney Autumn Carnival campaign in the Group 3 $350,000 McGrath Sky High Stakes (2000m) at Rosehill on Saturday.
Our Ivanhowe looks like getting a soft track on Saturday at Rosehill and that will please Lee Freedman who has been waiting a long time to find a suitable surface.
“It’s just a shame that he hasn’t got as many tracks that would suit him but look, there is everything to say in his trial this morning and on his work prior to this, he’s going to race right up to his best given those conditions,” Freedman told racing.com.
Our Ivanhowe failed to fire during the 2016 Spring Carnival and never threatened on a good 4 rated track when seventeenth to Almandin in the Group 1 $6m Emirates Melbourne Cup (3200m) at Flemington.
2015 Sydney Cup winner Grand Marshal is one of five Chris Waller trained stayers left in contention following the first acceptances, the others are Who Shot Thebarman, Libran, Kinema and the promising Antonio Giuseppe who has won five of his last six starts.
Antonio Giuseppe resumed from a spell to win the James Ruse Handicap over 1500m at Rosehill on February 18 and has been weighted on 52.5kg for the Sydney Cup.
Trainer John O’Shea’s Godolphin acceptors for the Sydney Cup are Magic Hurricane, Tally, Ambience and Alegria while the Godolphin’s European contenders under the care of trainer Charlie Appleby are Penglai Pavilion and Polarisation.
Melbourne Cup winning trainer Robert Hickmott has three left in the Sydney Cup, Assign, Chance To Dance and last Sunday’s Wangaratta Cup winner Our Century.
Former Kiwi trainers Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young, now based at Cranbourne in Victoria, have 2016 Australian Derby winner Tavago among the first acceptances for the Sydney Cup.
Tavago has had one run back for the Autumn for a fifth to Winx in the Group 1 $600,000 Chipping Norton Stakes (1600m) at Randwick on February 25.
Leading Victorian trainer Darren Weir has left English import Lord Van Percy, Adelaide Cup favourite Master Of Arts and Launceston Cup winner Big Duke among the first acceptances for the Sydney Cup.
Lord Van Percy is heading to New Zealand to run in the Group 1 NZ$500,000 Auckland Cup (3200m) at Ellerslie on Saturday and Master Of Arts is one of the main chances in the Group 2 $400,000 Adelaide Cup (3200m) at Morphettville on March 13.
2017 Sydney Cup First Acceptances
| # | Last 10 | Horse | Sex | Age | Trainer | Ballot | Weight | Hcp Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 5501x5860x | OUR IVANHOWE (GER) | H | 7 | Lee & Anthony Freedman | 1 | 57kg | 111 |
| 2 | 3x726910x9 | GRAND MARSHAL (GB) | G | 7 | Chris Waller | 2= | 55.5kg | 108 |
| 3 | x6527255x3 | WHO SHOT THEBARMAN (NZ) | G | 8 | Chris Waller | 2= | 55.5kg | 108 |
| 4 | x341112x87 | LIBRAN (IRE) | G | 6 | Chris Waller | 4 | 55kg | 107 |
| 5 | x808462x00 | ALMOONQITH (USA) | H | 7 | David & B Hayes & T Dabernig | 5 | 54.5kg | 106 |
| 6 | 13061x00x5 | TAVAGO (NZ) | G | 4 | Trent Busuttin & Natalie Young | 6 | 54kg | 105 |
| 7 | 66x5340x54 | MAGIC HURRICANE (IRE) | G | 7 | John O’Shea | 7 | 53.5kg | 105 |
| 8 | 6x511112x1 | ANTONIO GIUSEPPE (NZ) | G | 4 | Chris Waller | 8= | 52.5kg | 103 |
| 9 | 3x02303x37 | TALLY | G | 4 | John O’Shea | 8= | 52.5kg | 102 |
| 10 | 153x9210x7 | ASSIGN (IRE) | G | 6 | Robert Hickmott | 10 | 52kg | 101 |
| 11 | x450x42312 | CHANCE TO DANCE (IRE) | G | 7 | Robert Hickmott | 11= | 51.5kg | 100 |
| 12 | x850202x09 | AMBIENCE | M | 4 | John O’Shea | 11= | 50kg | 100 |
| 13 | 611x92384x | HARLEM (GB) | H | 5 | David & B Hayes & T Dabernig | 13= | 50.5kg | 98 |
| 14 | 1170x41x75 | KINEMA (IRE) | G | 6 | Chris Waller | 13= | 50.5kg | 98 |
| 15 | 50100×6053 | MISTER IMPATIENCE (GB) | G | 7 | Michael Moroney | 13= | 50.5kg | 98 |
| 16 | 3x0x85x10x | PENGLAI PAVILION (USA) | G | 7 | Charlie Appleby | 13= | 50.5kg | 98 |
| 17 | 361844831x | PURPLE SMILE | G | 6 | David & B Hayes & T Dabernig | 13= | 50.5kg | 98 |
| 18 | 211×444481 | MASTER OF ARTS (NZ) | H | 5 | Darren Weir | 18= | 50kg | 97 |
| 19 | 4x067379x9 | PENTATHLON (NZ) | G | 5 | John Wheeler | 18= | 50kg | 97 |
| 20 | x266223x69 | TOM MELBOURNE (IRE) | G | 6 | Lee & Anthony Freedman | 18= | 50kg | 97 |
| 21 | 1×08158217 | CHENILLE (NZ) | M | 5 | Tony Pike | 21 | 50kg | 93 |
| 22 | 42x9533x32 | ALEGRIA | M | 5 | John O’Shea | 22 | 50kg | 92 |
| 23 | 5×67952044 | LORD VAN PERCY (GB) | G | 7 | Darren Weir | 23= | 50kg | 90 |
| 24 | 18111511×5 | PACORUS (NZ) | G | 5 | Chris Wood | 23= | 50kg | 90 |
| 25 | 45x52482x5 | VENGEUR MASQUE (IRE) | G | 5 | Michael Moroney | 23= | 50kg | 90 |
| 26 | 4306520530 | PERFECT START (NZ) | M | 7 | Wayne Hillis | 26 | 50kg | 89 |
| 27 | 38x2x20x4x | POLARISATION (GB) | G | 5 | Charlie Appleby | 27 | 50kg | 88 |
| 28 | x42x513x41 | OUR CENTURY (IRE) | G | 6 | Robert Hickmott | 28= | 50kg | 87 |
| 29 | 0x42172974 | SNOW SECRET (NZ) | M | 5 | Shaune Ritchie | 28= | 50kg | 87 |
| 30 | 3x1x421121 | BIG DUKE (IRE) | G | 5 | Darren Weir | 30 | 50kg | 86 |
| 31 | 917x277x41 | ASTRONOMOS (GB) | G | 6 | John P Thompson | 31 | 50kg | 85 |
| 32 | 0x0x771135 | ANNUS MIRABILIS (IRE) | G | 6 | Stuart Webb | 32= | 50kg | 83 |
| 33 | 86750×7588 | LIKE A CAROUSEL | G | 7 | Ken Keys | 32= | 50kg | 83 |
| 34 | 3423414x | DARABAD (FR) | H | 4 | Robbie Laing | 34 | 50kg | 82 |
| 35 | 5883533246 | SHALMANESER | G | 6 | Jason Attard | 35 | 50kg | 78 |
| 36 | 110x740x06 | LAST WISH (NZ) | G | 6 | John P Thompson | 36= | 50kg | 77 |
| 37 | 124×431431 | ONCIDIUM RULER | G | 5 | Michael Kent | 36= | 50kg | 77 |
| 38 | 318×193123 | VANDANCER (NZ) | M | 4 | Michael Moroney | 36= | 50kg | 77 |
| 39 | 5435323×63 | BAYANOVA (NZ) | M | 6 | Michael Kent | 39 | 50kg | 70 |
| 40 | 25x7416x80 | MORE ENERGY | G | 6 | Jason Coyle | 40 | 50kg | 68 |
| 41 | 2115×95628 | PARAGON | G | 5 | John Sargent | 41 | 50kg | 67 |
| 42 | 315×663162 | CILLA (NZ) | M | 4 | John Sargent | 42 | 50kg | 64 |
| 43 | 1734 | IMPAVIDO | G | 3 | Bjorn Baker | 43 | 49kg | 63 |
