Destiny’s Kiss wins Listed Tattersalls Cup

Destiny’s Kiss is on the cusp of a racing milestone that even his most ardent fan probably thought was impossible after the veteran claimed the $150,000 Tattersalls Club Cup at Randwick.

One of the smallest thoroughbreds in training, Destiny’s Kiss gave his four rivals a start and a beating in another genuine staying performance to win Monday’s Listed race.

In getting the better of Index Linked to win by three-quarters of a length, Destiny’s Kiss ($4.40) put himself within sight of $1 million in stakes.

And with $941,153 in the kitty for owner Nick Moraitis, it seems only a matter of time before Destiny’s Kiss makes it to seven figures and reinforces trainer Joe Pride’s idea that bigger isn’t necessarily better when it comes to a racehorse’s conformation.

“Size is so overrated in thoroughbreds,” he said.

“He was offered for sale to Hong Kong after he won at Moonee Valley (in October 2011) but vets knocked him back because he was too small.

“And here he is still going and people worry about size.

“He doesn’t look that small when you watch him race because he’s such a long strider, but he is a tiny little horse.”

Destiny’s Kiss has made a name for himself as a wet-track specialist, winning 11 of his 14 races on surfaces rated worse than slow and showed he was also adept on Monday’s good surface.

But he is also a horse for most seasons, thanks to a wet start to 2016 and one of the few rain-affected tracks to end the year last month.

Destiny’s Kiss revelled in the Randwick mud to win the Christmas Cup and Pride said he thought the eight-year-old ran just as well despite being unplaced last week’s Summer Cup.

“His past four wins have been in summer but three times he’s found a wet track,” Pride said.

“He’s a long way from the best horse I’ve trained but he’s so great to have around, he’s just a warrior.

“He’s going to crack the million the way he’s going, he’s almost there now.

“I reckon he’d be breaking a record unless you count some of the Magic Millions money in that he’d be one of the first horses to win a million (dollars) without winning a Group race.

“I think he’s won four or five Listed races so he’s done it the slow way.”

It was another veteran who dominated Cup betting with Iggi Pop backed from $2.10 to $2 favouritism.

Trying to win his first race since taking out the 2014 Queensland Cup, Iggi Pop led but was the first horse beaten and finished in front of just one runner.