Trainer Chris Waller celebrated yet another feature race trifecta at Rosehill Gardens with his last start Lord Mayor’s Cup winner Wu Gok taking out the 2020 Winter Cup results in a thrilling finish.
2020 Winter Cup winner Wu Gok is set to target the Group 1 The Metropolitan this spring. Photo: Steve Hart.
Wu Gok beat home stablemates Yulong Prince and The Lord Mayor in the Listed Lord Mayor’s Cup (2000m) on May 30 and returned on Saturday relishing another Heavy Rosehill track to take out the Listed $150,000 Winter Cup (2400m) over the mile and a half.
The six-year-old son of Sebring was on the drift in betting, but was given a soft ride up front running three-quarter pace until the 800m with Adam Hyeronimus continuing his association aboard the stayer.
Once on the straight the challenges came including from Carzoff who was charging up along the rails and Yulong Prince who jockey James McDonald had given a nice ride throughout tucked up on the fence.
Just when he looked gone however, Wu Gok ($3.80F) came back and just kept fighting all the way to the line, narrowly defeating Carzoff ($5.50) and a somewhat disappointing Yulong Prince ($4.80).
Waller ruled out a run in the Listed $200,000 Grafton Cup (2350m) on July 9 for Wu Gok, but did say the horse may back-up at Rosehill in a fortnight going back down in distance for the Listed $120,000 W J McKell Cup (2000m).
“I don’t think he’s really a Grafton Cup horse,” Waller said after the race.
“We’ll just send him back to the farm now…there is a race over 2000m in two weeks or we might even just freshen him up and get him ready for a Metrop.”
The Group 1 $750,000 The Metropolitan (2400m) runs at Royal Randwick on Epsom Handicap Day, October 3, and Waller has won the past two editions with Patrick Erin (2018) and Come Play With Me (2019).
All-in The Metropolitan betting odds at Ladbrokes.com.au have firmed on Wu Gok following the Winter Cup results in from $41 to $31.
