Tupac Amaru finished a credible sixth in the Group 1 Sydney Cup (3200m) during the 2014 Sydney Autumn Racing Carnival, but Darley Racing Manager Jason Walsh has revealed that the promising stayer will not be thrown in at the deep end during his spring campaign.
Tupac Amaru finished a brave second behind Criterion in the 2014 edition of the Australian Derby. Photo by: Steve Hart
Tupac Amaru finished fifth in the Group 1 Victoria Derby (2500m) during the 2013 Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival and had three starts against his own age group during the 2014 Sydney Autumn Racing Carnival and he improved each time that he was stepped up in distance.
The three-year-old was outpaced and unable to work into the race in the Group 1 Royal Randwick Guineas (1600m) on March 5 and finished ninth in the Group 1 Rosehill Guineas (2000m) on March 29 before pushing Criterion all the way when second in the Group 1 Australian Derby (2400m) at Royal Randwick on April 12.
Although Tupac Amaru has shown an ability to be competitive at Group 1 level, Walsh said that the Darley stable believes that at this stage of his racing career he is just short of the level required to win at the highest level and the rising four-year-old will be set for races like the Listed Rowley Mile (1600m) at Hawkesbury on August 21, the Group 3 David Jones Cup (2000m) at Caulfield on October 18, the Group 3 Lexus Stakes (2500m) at Flemington on Victoria Derby Day and the Group 2 Zipping Classic (2400m) at Sandown on November 15.
“He is an out and out stayer and he is bred to be by Street Cry out of one of Sheik Mohammed’s great families,” Walsh told Sky Racing HQ.
“There is no doubt that he needs a trip to get his best.
“Our impression would be, at this stage that he is a tier below the top horses and we will look to start him off in a race like the Hawkesbury Gold Cup (Rowley Mile) over a mile.
“If he progresses well and pleases us, he might go to a Coongy (David Jones Cup) or a Lexus and if he going really well then the Zipping Classic would look a nice race for him.
“He is one of those horses that has been a little bit more feminine and a longer maturing type and he is bred to be that.
“We are very hopeful that his best is still in front of him.”
He is no certainty to contest the race, but Tupac Amaru is currently available at odds of $61 in the 2014 Melbourne Cup betting market with Ladbrokes Australia.
