Leading Sydney trainer Chris Waller finished the winter carnival the way he started it by winning a stakes race – this time with Murphy’s Delight in the Listed Queensland Cup.
The win at Eagle Farm on Saturday was Waller’s eighth stakes race win for the carnival and gave him his first win in a Queensland Cup (3200m).
He didn’t win a Group One during the winter but ended with a Group Two, four Group Threes, and three Listed races.
Jockey Jim Byrne raced away from the rail for most of the race but was able to drive Murphy’s Delight to a 3/4-length win over Pop ‘N’ Scotch ($12), with 1-3/4 lengths to Viva Espana ($7) in third place.
Murphy’s Delight began his career in Ireland, where he won once before being sold to an Australian syndicate.
Since joining Waller in Sydney, Murphy’s Delight has won three times and was second in the Randwick Stayers Cup (3200m) two runs ago.
Stable representative Joanne Taylor said Murphy’s Delight would now be sent for a spell and brought back for a spring campaign.
“Chris will sit down and have a look for suitable races for him. His fitness got him home today and he had a 3200-metre run under his belt when he was second in the Randwick Stayers Cup two starts back,” Taylor said.
Byrne scored his third win in the Queensland Cup after earlier success on Insecure (1998) and Iggy Pop (2014).
Pop ‘N’ Scotch wrote himself into the history books with his second as he was runner-up in the two previous runnings of the race.
Jeff Lloyd, who rode Viva Espana, said he had been a good staying effort because the mare had been a clear last at the 800m.
