The chances of Sir Lucan posting back-to-back wins in the Winter Cup will come down to fitness as the gelding tackles the feature off a different preparation this year.
Twelve months ago, Sir Lucan was successful at his fourth start from a spell but on Saturday he will go into the Listed assignment with just one run under his belt – a disappointing effort in the Lord Mayors Cup (2000m) when he settled last and failed to beat a rival home.
“He just got too far back the other day,” co-trainer Adrian Bott said.
“He can win a race of that quality at this time of year. But he is only second-up so he will probably improve again.”
Sir Lucan is a two-time winner second-up and did finish runner-up in the 2024 Gosford Cup off the back of an unplaced resumption at Randwick.
He will be striving to become just the third horse to win the Listed Winter Cup (2400m) twice in its almost 70-year history, with Destiny’s Kiss taking it out six years apart in 2013 and again in 2019 and Royal Bark in 1962-63.
Bott and training partner Gai Waterhouse will also be represented by Bear On The Loose, who extends to the staying journey for the first time.
A winner up to 2112m in Europe, he beat all but Glory Daze in a 2000m benchmark race at Randwick last start and with the benefit of three recent runs, is expected to make his presence felt.
“It was a good run last start. He is versatile in the conditions and should appreciate the trip,” Bott said.
“He is still lightly raced and still progressive.”
A field of 14 has been paid up for the Winter Cup with the Kris Lees-trained Changingoftheguard top weight with 59kg, two kilos more than Sir Lucan and six kilos more than Bear On The Loose, who carries the 53kg minimum.
Changingoftheguard resumes at Rosehill having been off the scene since finishing second in the Colin Stephen Quality (2400m) last spring.
