Imported English stayer Raheen House is set to back up next week in the 2020 Sydney Cup after winning his first race on Australian soil in the Group 2 $300,000 Schweppes Chairman’s Quality (2600m) on Day One of The Championships at Randwick today.
Raheen House, above, is set to back up in the 2020 Sydney Cup after winning the Chairman’s Quality at Randwick. Photo by Steve Hart.
Trainer Kris Lees said that a nice recovery by Raheen House after today wins would see the tough stayer join several of his stablemates on Day Two of The Championships in the Group 1 $1m Schweppes Sydney Cup (3200m) at Randwick.
“Nice set up for next week’s Sydney Cup – all being well and he pulls up well,” Lees said.
“Really happy with how he’s settled in and his two lead-up runs were improving with each outing and he got conditions to suit.
“Got a lovely ride by Hugh and he was very strong.”
Raheen House was having his fifth run in Australia after arriving from England for the 2019 Melbourne Spring Carnival and was able to produce his best staying performance to date with a terrific Sydney Cup trial.
“He started tight in the market in the Ebor, which is traditionally a good staying test in Europe.
“He came down for the carnival but he probably wasn’t himself in the spring on a couple of firm tracks which didn’t suit him,” Lees said.
Winning jockey Hugh Bowman had Raheen House travelling strongly in the second half of the field and produced him at the right time in the straight to run down the $5 favourite Carif who looked the likely winner when he dashed to the front at the 300m.
Raheen House ($17) proved to be the stronger stayer on the day and went on to record a one and a quarter lengths win over the Peter and Paul Snowden trained Carif with Mirage Dancer ($15) running on from the back to fill third spot.
“I would’ve loved for him to relax a bit better for me in the race, for a European stayer I thought he just over-travelled a bit,” Bowman said.
“That might have been the wind that’s really hitting down the back straight, especially when you’re on the rail like I was.”
Reshuffled betting for the Sydney Cup at Ladbrokes.com.au has Raheen House on the third line at $7 after $14 was on offer this morning.
English stayer Young Rascal remains at the top of the Sydney Cup betting at $2.30 head of Raheen House’s stablemate Mustajeer at $5.
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