Concerns Terravista looked too fat didn’t stop the horse continuing his march to the top in Saturday’s Liverpool City Cup.
In a race that also confirmed New Zealand colt El Roca was back on track for the Randwick Guineas, Terravista posted his second win from as many starts with a narrow decision over the three-year-old at Warwick Farm.
The victory was a relief for trainer Joe Pride.
“He did too well between runs and he looked a bit tubby in the enclosure,” Pride said.
“But this bloke is a winner.
“He has fantastic acceleration and you saw that again today.”
A late scratching from last week’s Hobartville Stakes after a pre-race treatment breach, El Roca travelled inside Terravista for most of the race.
The pair made their runs together but Terravista sprinted the better and held off a late rally from the colt to score by a long head with Ninth Legion another 1-3/4 lengths away.
The winner will head to the Ajax Stakes in two weeks before Pride decides whether to head to the Doncaster Mile.
“If he’s a serious Doncaster horse he’s probably got to knock off the Ajax in a couple of weeks,” Pride said.
“I’m going to be guided by his next start.”
El Roca will be given the chance to prove his mile credentials when he backs up in the Randwick Guineas next week.
“He got beaten on his merits by a tough older horse,” trainer Trent Busuttin said.
“That will top him off for next week.”
