A pre-race scare has not deterred the progress of stayer So You Are, who has now firmly established himself as a contender for the prestigious Melbourne Cup.
The Bjorn Baker-trained $3.30 favourite, guided by jockey Tommy Berry, demonstrated considerable grit to fend off Tempesti ($31) by three-quarters of a length in Saturday’s St Leger Stakes (2600m) at Randwick. This significant victory propels the horse towards Australia’s most famous racing event.
However, the race was almost jeopardised before it began.
So You Are was found to be missing a lead bag prior to parading, necessitating its removal, a thorough gear inspection, and subsequent re-equipping.
Baker’s assistant, Glen Lobb, was tasked with the final adjustments and received an unexpected shove from the horse that sent him backwards.
Fortunately, Lobb sustained no injuries. Although So You Are appeared unsettled by the additional attention, he managed to put the incident behind him and record his third consecutive win.
“Bit of a mistake. It worked out thankfully well,” Baker said.
“I did say to Tommy (Berry), ‘I’ll give you a bit of cash if you tell ‘Stuey’ (owner Stuart Ramsey) it was your fault’.
“He (So You Are) is an iron man, and he was good late. I knew he’d keep finding and massive thrill to win on a day like today. How special.”
So You Are currently sits on 52kg for the Melbourne Cup (3200m), and Baker confirmed their intention for the horse to take its place in the field.
“He’s a really, really good stayer. I can’t wait to see him over two miles,” he commented.
“I’m sure he’ll be able to get into the Melbourne Cup off that, so hopefully he comes through well.
“I’ve only had him for the four runs, so I’m the lucky benefactor of a really well-trained, straightforward racehorse.”
Klondike ($7.50) put in a determined late run to claim third place, with jockey Zac Lloyd suggesting the import was close to breaking through.
“He went very well. I think he is ready to win,” Lloyd stated.
With So You Are now firmly in the Melbourne Cup picture, punters can explore the available betting markets for the race.