The outstanding success of three-year-olds in Group One races this season will be underscored if Hippopus wins Saturday’s Doomben Cup.
The Gai Waterhouse-trained colt is striving to become the eighth individual three-year-old this season to win an open age Group One event.
At Eagle Farm last Saturday, Your Song became the latest three-year-old to win at the elite level this season when he claimed the BTC Cup by five lengths.
This season’s three-year-olds are widely regarded as the best collection of that age group since the revered 1995-96 crop which included Octagonal, Saintly, Nothin’ Leica Dane and Filante.
“With the three-year-olds so competitive against the older horses throughout the autumn we felt he’d be extremely hard to beat in this race,” Waterhouse’s stable spokesman Bruce Slade said.
Hippopus has pleased the Waterhouse stable since he won the VRC St Leger at Flemington by three lengths on Anzac Day.
“Considering he’s had a fairly long preparation, his races have been spaced to keep him as fresh as possible,” Slade said.
“He travelled back from Melbourne great. He’s holding his condition well and he’s a happy, healthy horse who’s enjoying his racing.”
The son of High Chapparal worked on the course proper at Randwick last Saturday before leaving Sydney by float on Tuesday.
“He’s a pretty versatile sort of horse in that he can lead or sit in the box seat as he did when he won at Flemington,” Slade said.
“His last piece of work on Saturday morning was the final vote of confidence to send him up for the Doomben Cup.”
Hippopus will be ridden in the Doomben Cup by Chris Munce replacing Craig Williams who is riding in Japan.
Munce and Waterhouse have combined to win 14 Group One races including the 2010 Caulfield Cup (Descarado), 2004 Golden Slipper (Dance Hero) and 2001 Doncaster Handicap (Assertive Lad).
Waterhouse won the Doomben Cup in 1996 with Juggler while Munce is seeking his first win in the race.
“Chris has had a lot of success for our stable over a long period of time and he knows how to ride Gai’s horses,” Slade said.
Since the Cup was switched from handicap conditions to weight-for-age in 1990 only two three-year-olds, Danewin (1995) and Akhenaton (2000) have been successful.
Hippopus shares the fourth line of betting for the Cup at $9 with imported stayer Beaten Up who has firmed from $12 after trainer Chris Waller scratched him from Friday’s Scone Cup.
AAP TURF sj
