Consistent stayer So You Are is unlikely to back up in the Metropolitan, with trainer Bjorn Baker keen to turn his focus to Melbourne for a potential Cups campaign.
The $2.15 favourite was responsible for a brave performance in Saturday’s Colin Stephen Quality (2400m) at Rosehill, conceding 5-1/2 kilos to his rivals and digging deep to stave off the late challenge of Amplify ($7) by a half-neck, with Bella Montagna ($3) another length away third.
Baker acknowledges the gelding probably needs to attract a penalty for his Colin Stephen win to make the Caulfield Cup (2400m) field, and if that doesn’t eventuate, the horse is likely to stay in Sydney for the ATC St Leger (2600m) on October 17 before heading south.
“Obviously, we want to get down to Melbourne for the Cups,” Baker said.
“The handicappers, I hope you’re watching. (There’s) heaps of improvement with him. You’d better give him half a kilo, or one (kilo), or something!
“The Caulfield Cup, he’ll be flat (out) getting in that. We might look at the St Leger, that could be a good race for him here and then get him down to Melbourne.
“A little bit depends on where he is in the order and the scheme of things as well.”
So You Are was a model of consistency for country-based trainer Stirling Osland during the winter before being transferred to Baker due to the logistical challenges of regularly travelling to town.
Winning jockey Rachel King said the gelding relaxed well in the run and felt like he still had more to offer.
“He was better today through the run. He is a funny horse, he’s giving more and more, he’s learning his race craft more and more,” King said.
So You Are has 51kg for next month’s Caulfield Cup (2400m) and 52kg in the Melbourne Cup (3200m).
