Trainer Tony McEvoy is hoping for better luck for his stayer Pelicano when he steps out in the Listed $120,000 TAB Werribee Cup (2600m) at Werribee on Sunday.
Tony McEvoy hoping for better luck for Pelicano in the Werribee Cup. Photo by Steve Hart.
McEvoy was happy with the effort of Pelicano when he ran three and a quarter lengths second to the Gai Waterhouse trained The Offer in the Listed $200,000 Sportsbet.com.au Ballarat Cup (2200m) at Ballarat on November 24 after losing its position in the run to the first turn.
Pelicano was slow to begin and then got caught up behind some early trouble while the eventual winner escaped the scrimmage.
“There was a lot of scrimmaging on the first turn and we were on the back of the winner going to the first turn and we were five lengths off him coming out of it,” McEvoy told the Sportsman.
“He was well beaten by the winner but he ran a super race and he did have 60kgs while the winner had 54.5kg.”
While The Offer won’t be lining up in the Werribee Cup, Ballarat Cup third placegetter Hurdy Gurdy Man will be doing battle with Pelicano again.
The Darren Weir trained Hurdy Gurdy Man has been doing the Country Cups circuit and the six year old has claimed the $25,000 Murtoa Cup (2050m) on October 5 and the $60,000 Hamilton Cup (2200m) October 27.
The Hobart Cup winner missed a place in the $100,000 Kyneton Cup (2000m) before running third to The Offer at Ballarat.
Premiership winning jockey Luke Nolen has retained the ride on Pelicano after substituting for Ben Melham who will be out of the saddle for several months following double hip surgery.
Pelicano is also looking for another country cups trophy after claiming the Listed $80,000 Murray Bridge Cup (1600m) on October 16 with Matthew Neilson aboard.
Flemington trainer Mike Moroney has elected to stay close to home and run Garud at Werribee in preference of traveling to Sydney for the Listed $100,000 Inglis Christmas Cup (2400m) on the Kensington track at Randwick on Saturday.
Moroney is another trainer looking for better luck at Werribee after Garud was one of the worst affected by the early interference in the Ballarat Cup and is happy to forget the run.
“He got completely knocked off his feet in the first lap, and he hated the heavy 9 track, so we’re just forgetting he went around,” Moroney said.
At his previous run the High Chaparral six year old finished a creditable sixth to Precedence in the Group 3 $300,000 Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2600m) at Flemington on November 9 and two starts previous ran third to Spurtonic in the Group 3 $150,000 David Jones Cup (2000m) at Caulfield on October 19.
