Tom Sherry’s resolve to ride King Of Roseau at a light weight has been rewarded with the sprinter scoring a barnstorming win in the Group Three Liverpool City Cup at Randwick.
“He had 54 (kilos) today, so he tested me a bit this morning. I was glad it all worked out OK,” Sherry said.
“We had the right run in the race today. He quickened extremely well.”
Fourth in the 2024 Canonbury Stakes (1100m) at two and twice Listed placed at three, it has been as an older horse that King Of Roseau has really hit his stride.
He claimed the Aurie’s Star Handicap (1200m) at Flemington in August and again produced his trademark big finish to capture the Magic Millions Cup (1400m) at the Gold Coast last month.
“We saw what he did down in Melbourne in the Aurie’s Star and in the Magic Millions. He has been an absolute revelation his last couple of preparations,” trainer Peter Snowden’s assistant, Aaron Lau, said.
“When he’s on song, he’s got a lethal turn of foot.”
King Of Roseau has been campaigning since November, albeit Snowden has spaced his runs, but Lau isn’t sure how much deeper he will go into the preparation with the major carnival races around the corner.
“We’ll have a good think. The races only get tougher from here and he’s probably a few rungs behind those topliners,” Lau said.
“But if we set him for the right races, he will certainly make his presence felt.”
Unleashing a withering sprint from back in the field, King Of Roseau ($8.50) scored by 1-1/4 lengths over Enriched ($7.50) with Axius ($4.40) another head back in third.
