Some sixty-nine weeks after finishing unplaced in the Melbourne Cup at his Australian debut, the Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott-trained Sir Lucan (IRE) returned triumphantly to racing in Saturday’s Listed Randwick City Stakes (2000m).
Making all from the front under Nash Rawiller, the 5yo son of Camelot defied Bullfinch (GB) (Kodiac) by one and a quarter length with Bonny Ezra (Road To Rock) three-quarters of a length back in third.
“He’s a very talented horse with the credentials he came here a couple of years back,” Adrian Bott said.
“It has been a patient wait, but the owners have been fantastic, so we are glad to reward them with a nice victory.
“We have been pleased with his trials, and starting over these distances suits these European horses.
“He was able to get in a nice rhythm. Going forward, he will certainly get two miles, so there is a nice preparation there for him, and he will continue to improve.
“The way he is weighted at present, we will probably stick to the handicaps until the Sydney Cup, but I think he will develop into a (WFA) horse.”
A brother to WS Cox Plate and Tancred Stakes winner Sir Dragonet (IRE), Sir Lucan won two from eight for Aidan O’Brien at Cork (1609m) and a Listed race at Navan (2615m). He was runner-up in the Group III Gordon Stakes at Goodwood and fourth in the Group II Great Voltigeur Stakes at York and Group II Beresford Stakes at The Curragh.
Four starters in the Gordon Stakes, three in the Great Voltigeur and two in The Beresford ended up in Australia.
At his lone start at the elite level in Europe, Sir Lucan finished eighth in the Group 1 St Leger at Doncaster.
Sir Lucan’s stakes-placed dam Sparrow (Oasis Dream) is a half-sister to stakes-winners Victory Song (Dansili) and Wonder Of Wonders (Kingmambo), who placed in the Epsom Oaks, Irish Oaks, and Yorkshire Oaks.
Wonder Of Wonders is the dam of stakes-winner So Wonderful, who placed in the Group 1 Irish One Thousand Guineas and Group 1 Moyglare Stud Stakes.
Sparrow’s Group III winning dam All Too Beautiful (Sadler’s Wells) also placed in The Oaks at Epsom, and her siblings include Galileo, Sea The Stars, Black Sam Bellamy and My Typhoon.
