The Metropolitan The Target For He’s Your Man After Winter Challenge Win

Imported stayer He’s Your Man will follow a path towards the Group 1 The Metropolitan (2400m) at Royal Randwick on October 4 after he recorded an impressive win in the Listed Winter Challenge (1500m) at Rosehill Gardens on Saturday.

He's Your Man held-off stablemates Coup Ay Tee and I'm Imposing to win the Winter Challenge at Rosehill Gardens on Saturday.

He's Your Man held-off stablemates Coup Ay Tee and I'm Imposing to win the Winter Challenge at Rosehill Gardens on Saturday. Photo by: Steve Hart

He’s Your Man was settled just behind the speed in the early stages of the Winter Challenge, while Tougher Than Ever and Queenstown made sure that the race was run at a strong tempo and he was taken to the outside of the field by James McDonald heading into the straight.

The Cape Cross gelding hit the front at the 200 metre mark and he finished strongly to record his maiden race win in Australia from Coup Ay Tee and I’m Imposing.

Trainer Chris Waller told the media after the race that The Metropolitan would be the 2014 Spring Racing Carnival target for He’s Your Man and he is confident that the five-year-old can be competitive in whatever lead-up races that he contests.

“It is good to see that turn of foot, that will keep him competitive in lead up races towards the Metropolitan Handicap,” Waller said.

“We will take one step at a time, the Premiers Cup is in four weeks.

“He showed today that he doesn’t need racing to keep fit and that will probably be his next run.

“I’ve had a lot of fun with Wyong Cup‘s and races like that, just putting these horses in competitive races.

“We haven’t had any luck in the Newcastle Cup, but there is a lot of races that can get us to a Metropolitan Handicap.

“We have plenty of horses who can go to Melbourne for a race like the Naturalism, obviously there are the weight-for-age horses too.”

He’s Your Man was trained by Melbourne Cup winning trainer Alain De Royer Dupre before he joined the Waller stable at the end of 2013 and he made his Australian racing debut with a close second behind Anlon in the George Watson Handicap (1400m).

He finished third in the Craftsman Handicap (1720m) at the same venue on January 18 and was beaten as one of the favourites in the Listed Mornington Cup Prelude (2000m) at Caulfield on February 1 before failing to fire in the Listed Mornington Cup (2400m) on February 12.

Coup Ay Tee finished the race in second position, but he was relegated to third on protest after jockey Jason Collett was deemed to have caused interference to I’m Imposing.

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Thomas Hackett

Thomas is a passionate and opinionated racing journalist and punter who has been obsessed with horse racing since he backed Saintly to win the 1996 Melbourne Cup. An international racing enthusiast, he has his finger on the pulse of racing news not just from Australia but all around the world.