News

Maturing Sincero is fresh and ready to surprise

28th Aug 2012

Sydney Morning Herald - Chris Roots - Tuesday, 28 August 2012

Wyong trainer Stephen Farley will stick to a Melbourne campaign for Sincero, starting in Saturday's Memsie Stakes, after not nominating his dual group 1 winner for the Epsom yesterday.

The five-year-old has had two barrier trials in preparation for his return and will have four runs finishing with the Cox Plate, in which he finished ninth last year. Farley could not be happier as he loaded the float for Melbourne, which Sincero will call home for the next couple of months.

''They have been his two best trials ever. He is fully matured now and I think he is a much better horse than this time last year,'' Farley said.

''The program we are looking at will see him get to the Cox Plate at his fourth run and going on what he did in the autumn, when he was third-up in the Doncaster [where he ran fourth to More Joyous], that should be perfect.

''I think he needed to get a little bit better to be a chance in these big group 1s and he has.

''He always has run good races fresh and I think he can surprise a few down there on Saturday.''

Melbourne Cup-winning hoop Michael Rodd has ridden against Sincero on many occasions but will be in the pilot seat on Saturday.

''I have followed him since he won the Stradbroke a couple of years ago. He is a very nice horse,'' Rodd said.

''If the reports are right, and from looking at his trials they could be, he has found a couple of lengths this time in and that would make him competitive in anything he runs in.''

Rodd's engagement is on a ride-by-ride basis on Sincero as the Mark Kavanagh stable keeps first call on his services. Last year's beaten Caulfield Cup favourite December Draw, which is set to return in the Makybe Diva Stakes at Flemington on September 8, is one horse Rodd can't wait to return to after losing unbeaten mare Atlantic Jewel for the spring last week.

''December Draw is coming along nicely and I'm hoping that they [him and Sincero] will stay away from each other but I will be on Kav's [horses] if it comes down to choice,'' Rodd said.

''[The spring] is starting to hot up from this week and there are plenty there I have to look forward too. I will also be doing some riding for Bart [Cummings] and Lloyd [Williams] when I can. I have been doing a bit of work with Illo for Bart and I think they might have worked him out.''

Illo was among the 101 Epsom nominations taken yesterday, which were headed by last year's winner Secret Admirer and the Doncaster trifecta of More Joyous, Shoot Out and Yosei. More Joyous is one of 16 entries from Gai Waterhouse in the Epsom to be run at Randwick on October 6. She also had 11 entries in The Metropolitan and maybe most interestingly though, is a nomination for star colt Pierro in the Spring Champion Stakes.

Chris Waller nominated Rangirangdoo and import Class Is Class for both the Epsom and Metropolitan. He could have a strong hand in the big mile as among his 10 entries were Danleigh and emerging trio Hoylonny, Said Com and Velrosso.