Gai Waterhouse will set Western Symbol on a similar path to stablemate and Brisbane Cup winner Tullamore following his tough victory in the Japan Racing Association Plate at Randwick on Saturday.
The lightly-raced stayer was trapped wide from an awkward draw but he dug into his reserves in the straight to set out after barn mate Herculian Prince with the pair fighting out the finish.
Western Symbol ($2.90 fav) eventually edged ahead to get the verdict by a short neck over Herculian Prince ($9) with Victorian Larry’s Never Late ($13) 1-3/4 lengths back.
The five-year-old is now unbeaten from three starts this campaign and Waterhouse is keen to follow the path she trod with Tullamore 12 months ago and take him to Queensland for the Brisbane Cup ahead of a spring campaign.
“I’ll have a look at it but I want to take him to Brisbane for the Cup and then do what I did with Tullamore and get him ready for the Caulfield and Melbourne Cups,” Waterhouse said.
“He’s a very exciting horse.”
Tommy Berry knew he would have a fight to get past Nash Rawiller on Herculian Prince and like Waterhouse, compared the gelding favourably to Tullamore who he has also ridden.
“He’s a very tough horse to get past and Nash kept fighting back ,” Berry said.
“He’s a funny horse (Western Symbol). He was going to be beaten a couple of lengths but it was like he was teasing his rivals.
“He’s a tough, progressive stayer.
“Gai and I have always said he reminded us of Tullamore and he’s pretty much on the same path.”
Tullamore won last year’s Brisbane Cup and returned in the spring to finish third in the Caulfield Cup and second in the Moonee Valley Gold Cup before finishing down the track on the first Tuesday in November.
Western Symbol is building an imposing record with six wins from 14 starts and another six minor placings.
