Winning Rupert threatens Doomben record
Sydney three-year-old Winning Rupert was expected to do something special at Doomben and he delivered by running the second fastest 1200m ever at the Brisbane track.
Winning Rupert ($1.10 fav) made it four wins from four starts when he cruised to the lead and scored by 5-1/2 lengths from Deep image ($21) in the Listed Gold Edition Plate.
He ran 1.7.97secs, 0.09s outside the course record held by champion galloper Takeover Target who set the time 10 years ago.
Winning Rupert now has only to win the Vo Rogue Plate (1350m) on New Year’s Eve or the Magic Millions Guineas on January 14 to pick up a $500,000 bonus.
Jockey Jeff Lloyd and Bjorn Baker’s stable representative Clare Cunningham had some bad news for Winning Rupert’s rivals in both races.
“He is probably going a bit faster than you realise in his races. He is a very nice horse and he is only going to get better,” Lloyd said.
Cunningham said Winning Rupert could certainly get even better.
“I don’t think we have emptied him out yet. He has had only four starts and I think he can do better,” Cunningham said.
“He ran a course record at Eagle Farm and today he has got within a tick of a champion’s course record here.”
“It really is exciting for us to have such a promising horse.”
Michael Cahill, who rode Deep Image, said his horse had done a great job at his first race start.
“He went very well but the winner was in a class of his own,” he said.
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