Stakes-placed Golden Tycoon has stamped his class on the Provincial Championship qualifying race with a dominant win at Newcastle.
Thursday’s 1200m-heat was transferred to the Newcastle program when Gosford was rained out on Saturday.
Ridden by Shaun Guymer, the Greg McFarlane-trained Golden Tycoon ($7.50) jumped straight to the lead and was never headed, beating the favourite Evalina ($2.60) by 1-1/2 lengths.
Evalina’s Kris Lees-trained stablemate Chalmers ($31) was another half length third with all three qualifying for the 1400m-final at Randwick on April 13.
McFarlane makes no secret just how good he believes Golden Tycoon is.
“I rate him in Group level,” he told Sky Thoroughbred Central.
“I don’t mean to be disrespectful to the other runners but I thought he was a class above this field.
“He breaks their hearts and thankfully delivered what I thought.
“I had planned for him to go to the (Group Two) Arrowfield Sprint if this didn’t work out.”
Guymer said there was still more to come from Golden Tycoon who ran third in the Listed Rosebud in August.
“He just bounced, put himself right there and I was able to get a couple of soft sectionals during the race,” he said.
“I really wound him up after I straightened and he responded really well and he’s still got a lot of improvement in him.”
Lees said both placegetters would also improve when they stepped up to the 1400 metres of the final.
