In seven starts for trainer Chris Waller, former French stayer Permit has gone from being a restricted class galloper to Sydney Cup favourite.
After he won at his second start for Waller in December, the trainer flagged the Sydney Cup as an ambitious target.
Permit has kept his part of the bargain, picking up the Listed Manion Cup (2400m) and the Group Two Chairman’s Quality (2600m) at his past two starts on his way to tackling Saturday’s 3200m race at Randwick.
A field of 16 including 2007 Melbourne Cup winner Efficient was declared for the Cup on Tuesday with Waller also saddling up Hawk Island and last year’s winner Stand To Gain.
“Everything has gone Permit’s way and fallen into place,” Waller said.
“He’s stepped up in class and performed each time and the luck has gone his way.
“Or maybe he’s the sort of horse who makes his own luck.”
With his Chairman’s jockey Corey Brown suspended, Kerrin McEvoy has snared the ride on Permit who will carry 53.5kg on Saturday.
Hugh Bowman, who rode Permit in the Manion, was ruled out when Efficient was among the acceptors and weights were raised 1.5kg to ensure a 58kg topweight.
Had Efficient not been in the field, weights would have gone up another kilo and Permit would have been in Bowman’s comfort zone.
Glyn Schofield takes the ride on Hawk Island hoping for better luck than he had a year ago.
Hawk Island was favourite for the 2011 Cup but fell during the race with an injured Schofield having to forfeit the winning All Aged Stakes ride on Hay List.
Stand To Gain emerged as the surprise winner of the race over Older Than Time and will be reunited with Rodney Quinn.
While neither Hawk Island nor Stand To Gain has been in the same form as last year, Waller has not given up hope they can rise to the occasion.
The Cup will be Stand To Gain’s last start for the trainer before he moves permanently to Robert Smerdon’s Melbourne yard to begin a jumps career.
The gelding has spent the past couple of weeks with Smerdon testing his suitability and Waller said the reports were good from leading jumps rider Steve Pateman.
“He said he was a natural,” Waller said.
“I’m hoping the change of scenery has helped sharpen him up for the Cup.
“He was due to have a trial at Cranbourne this morning to qualify for jumps racing but they were called off.
“He’s done plenty of jumping preparing for that so he’s certainly fit enough.
“Hawk Island has been a bit one-paced but I thought his run in the BMW was good.”
Hawk Island finished sixth in the BMW won by Manighar who contests the Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2000m) this weekend.
Like Permit, Stand To Gain did his early racing in France while Hawk Island began his career in England.
Permit ($3.60) was one of only four runners under double figures with TAB Sportsbet on Tuesday with Niwot at $4.40, Drunken Sailor $6.50 and Older Than Time $8.
