Jockey Brad Rawiller has no worries that the in-form Taiyoo will handle the step up to the 3200m of the Group 2 $400,000 Tattsbet Adelaide Cup at Morphettville on Monday.
Taiyoo, yellow colours, and Lucky Lucky Lucky, orange cap, will clash again in the Adelaide Cup after fighting out the finish in the Lord Reims Stakes, above. Photo by Jenny Barnes.
Taiyoo is tackling the ‘two miles’ for the first time but is racing in outstanding form with five wins from his last five starts including a last start tenacious victory over Lucky Lucky Lucky in the Group 3 $115,000 James Boags Premium Lord Reims Stakes (2600m) at Morphettville last Saturday.
Rawiller has ridden Taiyoo to five of his thirteen wins and even though apprentice Jye McNeil was aboard in the Lord Reims Stakes, the top Victorian rider can see the Darren Weir trained gelding capable of going the distance in Adelaide’s premier staying event.
“The second horse had him on the ropes the other and he (Taiyoo) just does what he does — fighting back to win,’’ Rawiller told The Advertiser.
“He didn’t run a quickest last furlong but he showed the fight needed and that should hold him in good stead going to 3200m.’’
Rawiller is back aboard Taiyoo in the Adelaide Cup and will be looking for some early luck to slot into the field in the early stages after coming up with barrier fourteen in the fifteen horse field.
Even with the horror barrier draw bookies have installed Taiyoo as the $3.20 favourite ahead of Lord Reims Stakes runner up Lucky Lucky Lucky at $4.80.
Taiyoo’s incredible run of five straight victories started off with a win over 2000m at Flemington on January 15 followed by two wins over 2400m in BenchMark 96s at Sandown on January 26 and February 7.
Weir then took the Haradasun five year old to Moonee Valley and stepped him up in class to win the Listed $150,000 ADAPT Australia Torney Night Cup (2500m) on February 20 before heading to Adelaide for the Lord Reims Stakes.
The Tony McEvoy trained Lucky Lucky Lucky has also drawn poorly at twelve and will give jockey Kerrin McEvoy plenty of work to do to try and find some cover in the run to the first turn and down the straight the first time.
Renew ($5.50) and Luck’s A Fortune ($11) are the only two Adelaide Cup runners to have won over the testing 3200m and both finished behind Taiyoo in the Lord Reims Stakes.
Luck’s A Fortune won over 3200m in a BenchMark 84 at Sandown in March, 2014, and at his latest run made up some ground in the straight to be beaten just over a length when fourth to Taiyoo last weekend.
Renew showed his staying ability with a win in the 3200m Listed $150,000 Sandown Cup at Sandown at the end of the 2014 Melbourne Spring Carnival.
The Archie Alexander trained stayer has had two runs back and showed improvement with a three length sixth in the Lord Reims Stakes.
Luck’s A Fortune will be ridden by Damian Lane and has drawn barrier five while Chris Symons will stick with Renew who has also drawn an inside gate at two.
