King Pedro has signalled his intentions for the spring staying races with a commanding performance to clinch the Listed Grafton Cup, despite a lacklustre pace.
Trainer Tom Charlton, observing from his Sydney office, admitted to pre-race concerns about the track favouring those in front. These worries escalated when Tahlia Fenlon, on leader Kaluakoi, dramatically slowed the tempo during the race.
“I’ve been watching the races all day and I was a bit concerned because nothing was making ground. The track is a good three, they missed all the rain, and it looked a tricky set-up for him,” Charlton stated. “Early on in the race, I was very concerned. They didn’t have the splits up, but it looked like they were going thirteen-and-a-half (seconds to the furlong). It wasn’t pretty and it probably didn’t test the horse’s best assets, but credit to the horse, he picked himself up and overcame it.”
Charlton lauded jockey Kerrin McEvoy’s calm approach, noting the rider’s steadfastness despite the race not unfolding as planned.
McEvoy retained faith in the recent Stayers Cup winner, guiding King Pedro ($2.30 fav) with a powerful surge down the centre of the track to overcome Etna Rosso ($18) and Kaluakoi ($11). King Pedro returned $2.30 as the favourite with betting sites.
This victory marked the jockey’s first in the Grafton Cup (2350m), a race he has contested multiple times, and he was thrilled to achieve the result for the connections.
“When I got him into the clear, he had a lot of ground to make up, but full credit to the horse. He powered and he was really hitting the line hard,” McEvoy told Sky Racing. “It’s nice to pull it off. He’s a horse that is hopefully going to go to nicer staying races in the spring.”
Charlton echoed this sentiment, confirming King Pedro would have a brief spell before commencing preparations for a carnival campaign.
The Group 1 Metropolitan (2400m) at Randwick in October is a key target, and following Thursday’s classy performance, Charlton expressed confidence in their spring aspirations.
“For sure. He’ll have a little freshen up on the way home and we’ll have a think about what races we aim for, but a race like the Metropolitan wouldn’t be a silly idea,” he concluded. Bet on the next big race with sports betting options.
