Imported galloper Touristic got conditions to suit and made the most of it to record his first victory in almost a year in the Listed Lord Mayors Cup at Rosehill.
Bringing up a winning double of the program for jockey Andrew Adkins, the Peter Snowden-trained Touristic was sent out a $9 chance in Saturday’s 2000m feature on a heavy-rated surface and got the better of leader Major Beel ($6) in the straight to defeat that galloper by 2-1/4-lengths.
The Ciaron Maher-trained Glory Daze, backing up a week after winning at Randwick seven days earlier, finished another three-quarters of a length away third as the $3.60 favourite.
Adkins said Touristic had to get a couple of things right in the first part of the race, and once that happened he was confident the six-year-old gelding was going to be able to finish strongly.
“I thought the main thing for him today was to begin well, which he’s not really known for,” Adkins said.
“That was one box ticked early on and I just wanted to have the most economical run as I could, and that was another box ticked.
“He had a fluent run from the 600m so he was always going to be strong late.
“He’s been crying out for a track like that, rain affected, and he got that today as a fit horse.
“I knew he would love that track, which he did.
“He was a fit horse so he was never going to stop.”
Touristic’s most recent victory prior to Saturday came at Mornington in June last year before going on to finish second in the McKell Cup, Grafton Cup and Premier’s Cup.
Saturday’s race was the son of Frankel’s eighth start of his current campaign and Snowden’s assistant trainer Aaron Lau felt the gelding had been showing the right signs in recent weeks since his last-start fourth in the Gosford Cup to expect a good performance in the Lord Mayors Cup.
“He drew a nice alley today, we know he gets around Rosehill well and just the way he’s been in the last couple of weeks, he was really well within himself so we knew he was ready to run a big race,” Lau said.
“He obviously excels on soft ground and heavy ground.
“He’s been running well without winning.
“We obviously saw him run a close fourth over the carnival in the Neville Sellwood over the course and distance and it was a similar track that day as well.
“He’s fairly deep into a preparation but he comes through each run in good order.
“Going forward, we’ll see how he comes through it but there’s a couple of options in the new few weeks for him.”
Lau said races such as the Winter Cup (2400m) at the same track in a couple of weeks and the Caloundra Cup in Queensland were among the options for Touristic.
Adkins had earlier won aboard the Joe Pride-trained three-year-old gelding King’s Secret, a half-brother to Private Eye, in the Toyota Forklifts Handicap (1100m).
“It’s very rewarding for myself as well to get a couple of nice winners,” Adkins said.
