Dubai Godolphin handlers Charlie Appleby and John O’Shea have assembled a strong team of horses to challenge for the Group 1 A$2 million Sydney Cup, one of the most prestigious races held during the Sydney autumn carnival at Randwick racecourse.
Sydney-based O’Shea is responsible for Tally, a Listed winner on his most recent start, while Appleby, who trains out of Godolphin’s Moulton Paddocks in Newmarket, England, is two-handed with proven stayers Polarisation and Penglai Pavilion.
Darley-bred Penglai Pavilion, the mount of Melbourne Cup (G1) winning jockey Kerrin McEvoy, is the best-fancied of the trio and an 8-1 chance on the international markets, behind Big Duke (2-1), the winner of his last three starts, and the dual Group 2 scorer Assign.
A seven-year-old son of German stallion Monsun, Penglai Pavilion has enjoyed a colourful career over both jumps, where he won three times when trained by John Ferguson, currently Godolphin’s chief executive and racing manager, and the flat, where he ran most of his races under the care of Appleby.
James Ferguson, assistant trainer to Appleby, who has been overseeing Penglai Pavilion’s preparations Down Under subsequent to a training setback, told the Godolphin website: “He’s 100 per cent, he just had a little nick, horses do that,” Ferguson said after watching his horses work together on Tuesday morning.
“The plan was always to go to the Sydney Cup, so there was no harm in not running in the Chairman’s ... it might have impeded his chances in the Sydney Cup.
“He’s not an unknown, but there’s improvement in him and if he gets a clear run I think he’ll go really well.”
Penglai Pavilion has run at the highest level including the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe (Group 1) at Longchamp, France, in 2013 where he finished fifth behind the outstanding Treve.
Penglai Pavilion hasn’t run since October, but Ferguson is confident he is fit and ready to run a big race.
“The boy who rides him every day says he’s the best he’s felt in a long time,” Ferguson said.
“(He) has three wins over hurdles, although his latest victory was over 3600m on the flat at Newmarket.
Ferguson expects both Penglai Pavilion and Polarisation to be in front or near the lead in the Sydney Cup which is run over the same distance of 3,200 metres of Australia’s most famous race, the Melbourne Cup (Group 1).
“I’d like to see them go on and try and make it a staying test, we know we can stay, whereas some of the others don’t necessarily.
“All these horses we’ve brought over thrive in this different environment over here.”
Other major features of the day include the Group 1 Queen Elizabeth Stakes, the Group 1 Australian Oaks and the Group 1 Queen Of The Turf Stakes.
Latest Odds
Sydney cup (G1)
Saturday, April 15
Big Duke (2); Assign (5); Who Shot Thebarman (15/2); Penglai Pavilion (8); Libran (12)
Polarisation (12); Annus Mirabilis (16); Tally (16); Vengeur Masque (16); Chance To Dance (20); Almoonqith (25); Tom Melbourne (25); Kinema (33); Harlem (50); Pacorus (50); Pentathlon (50); Ambience (66); Mister Impatience (66); Paragon (100)
