The Lord Mayors Cup has a history of throwing up an emerging stayer and the Chris Waller stable is hoping that is again the case for the lightly raced Kadavar.
Three of the past four winners – Eliyass (2024), Bois D’Argent (2023) and Polly Grey (2021) – have gone on to either win or place at Group 1 level.
Kadavar underlined his promise last campaign with a hat-trick of victories, culminating in his Christmas Cup (2400m) triumph over subsequent Sydney autumn carnival star Alalcance.
Waller’s assistant trainer Charlie Duckworth said they had high hopes for the four-year-old, who had been earmarked as a potential Cups horse in the spring.
With that in mind, Waller may even pull up stumps with Kadavar after Saturday’s Lord Mayors Cup (2000m) at Rosehill, rather than continue on a path through Sydney’s winter staying features.
“He might be better than that,” Duckworth said.
“He could potentially be a Melbourne Cup horse for us. His record is outstanding.
“He could have two runs and then start again.”
The winner of six of his 14 starts, Kadavar resumed with a closing seventh behind Tavi Time in the Scone Cup (1600m) when partnered by Rachel King.
She is riding in Brisbane this weekend so Kerrin Mcevoy takes over the reins but the stable has been buoyed by King’s feedback.
“Rachel was rapt with him that day and basically said that with clear running he would have just about won the Scone Cup first-up,” Duckworth said.
“The 2000-metres will be better again for him.”
Waller has won the Lord Mayors Cup four times, most recently with Polly Grey, and has accepted with a quartet of runners this weekend.
Stablemates First Light and Speycaster are likely to start, however Gosford Cup runner-up Etna Rosso has also been paid up for the Queen Elizabeth II Cup (2400m) at Eagle Farm.
Speycaster has disappointed at his past three runs in Melbourne and Duckworth hoped a change of environment to Sydney might spark him back to form.
“He has had a few excuses, whether it’s been tracks or tempo so we’ve brought him home to Sydney but he needs to lift,” he said.
Wiremu Pinn has been booked for the ride, the New Zealander having arrived last week to begin a three-month stint with Waller in Sydney.
