The Offer on target for a Sydney Cup win with good barrier draw

Irish import The Offer is set to give Gai Waterhouse and Tommy Berry another Randwick Group 1 win after drawing ideally in the $1m Schweppes Sydney Cup (3200m) on Saturday.

The Offer is the ruling Sydney Cup favourite after winning the Chairman's Handicap

The Offer is the ruling Sydney Cup favourite after winning the Chairman's Handicap. Photo by Steve Hart.

The Offer is racing in outstanding form with wins from his last two starts and came up with barrier eight in the seventeen horse field on the second day of ‘The Championships’.

The five year old gelding is the $3 favourite with Ladbrokes.com.au for the Sydney Cup after wins in the Group 3 Ambassador Travel N E Manion Cup (2400m) at Rosehill on March 29 and the Group 2 $300,000 Schweppes Chairman’s Handicap (2600m) at Randwick last week on a bog track.

Waterhouse and Berry combined in the Spring of 2012 to win the Group 1 $500,000 The Star Epsom (1600m) with Fat Al and the Group 1 $400,000 McGrath Estate Agents Metropolitan (2400m) with Glencadam Gold, both at Randwick.

Second favourite Kiwi stayer Who Shot Thebarman ($5.50) drew barrier eleven and comes to Sydney after winning the Group 1 NZ$500,000  Barefoot & Thompson Auckland Cup (3200m) at Ellerslie on March 5.

The in-form James McDonald has picked up the ride on the Mark Oulaghan trained five year old who has won six of his nine race starts.

Former Irish stayer Voleuse De Coeurs has had two runs going into Saturday’s staying test in the Sydney Cup and will jump from barrier sixteen with Glen Boss to ride.

Trainer Mike Moroney is hoping for a bold showing from Voleuse De Couers ($9) but knows she has the job ahead with 58kgs and a horror gate.

“Barrier sixteen is not a great help,” Moroney said.

“She got a fair bit against her. Track conditions, she struggled here last time at Rosehill, hope this will be a little bit different.”

“She was coming off a really nice run in the Australian Cup on top- of the ground.”

“I think she has got some things against her, she is s quality mare so hope she can rise above that.”

Voleuse De Coeurs ran a nice race first when fifth to Fiorente in the Group 1 $1m Darley Australian Cup (2000m) at Flemington on March 8 on a good track then finished fifth to Silent Achiever in the Group 1 $1.5m The BMW (2400m) at Rosehill on April 5 on a heavy 8.

Sertious, also a $9 chance drew near the inside at three while the best of Chris Waller’s two runners, Brigantin ($10) drew six while Opinion ($26) came up with an outside draw at fourteen.

The only three year old is the Sydney Cup field is the Peter Snowden trained Tupac Tamaru ($15) who is backing up after running second to Criterion in the Group 1 $2m BMW Australian Derby (2400m) at Randwick  last Saturday and will jump from gate nine with Kerrin McEvoy to ride again.

About The Author

Mark Mazzaglia

Mark is a passionate journalist with a life-time involvement in the racing industry. He spent many years as an analyst and form expert at the Courier Mail and also has hands-on experience working with some of Queensland’s top trainers.