Stephen Farley’s ultra consistent galloper Sincero has shortened in the betting for the 2011 Cox Plate in Melbourne next month after becoming a dual elite level winner with a gritty victory in Saturday’s $350,000 Group 1 George Main Stakes (1500m) at Rosehill.
Sincero wins the George Main Stakes at Rosehill on way to the 2011 Cox Plate
After taking out the Stradbroke Handicap in Brisbane last season, Umatilla four-year-old Sincero resumed with a first-up win in the Group 3 Tramway Handicap at Warwick Farm on September 3, which saw them start clear favourite for the George Main Stakes through Luxbet last Saturday.
In a big win for jockey Chris O’Brien, Wyong-based trainer Farley, connections and the punters, Sincero ($2.15F) held on in a tight finish to overtake and beat home the Grahame Begg-trained Ilovethiscity ($4.60) by a quarter-length in the 2011 George Main Stakes result while Chris Waller’s Triple Elegance ($8.50) crossed a further three quarters of a length away third.
It was a gallant run and win by Sincero who had no luck in the race getting caught three-wide without cover from an outside draw, allowing Ilovethiscity to sprint forward to take the lead before Sincero fought back.
“I thought we were going to run a nice second with Ilovethiscity went past us,” Farley said.
2011 Cox Plate Odds
Futures all-in betting showing top 24 horses.
“But the one thing about this horse, he knows how to win.”
The victory was jockey O’Brien’s first Group 1 win after he missed the Stradbroke due to Sincero’s light weight allocation.
Sincero is proving the horse for punters to back having won 11 of their 15 starts to date, a record that speaks for itself according to Farley.
“This horse is starting to earn freak status – they just don’t win 11 out of 15,” he said.
Having been purchased for just $8,000 as a yearling, Sincero has now won over $1.45 million in prize money with more to come this spring.
Farley has plans to run Sincero next-up in the $500,000 Group 1 Epsom Handicap (1600m) at Randwick on October 1 before travelling down to Victoria to prepare for the gelding’s main aim, the $3 million Group 1 Cox Plate (2040m) at Moonee Valley on October 22.
“He’s running in the Epsom, as long as it is at Randwick,” Farley said.
Then he will back up in the Caulfield Stakes a week later and that should have him right for the Cox Plate.”
The $400,000 Group 1 Caulfield Stakes (2000m) runs on Caulfield Guineas Day, October 8.
Epsom Handicap 2011 betting at Luxbet has Sincero as the $3.80 favourite followed by Secret Admirer ($5) and Ilovethiscity ($8.50).
After stepping up to weight-for-age conditions for the first time to win the George Main Stakes 2011, Sincero has also firmed dramatically in the Luxbet 2011 Cox Plate odds sitting on the fourth line of betting at $12.
Jimmy Choux is the new Cox Plate favourite at $7 after the boom Kiwi runner won the Group 1 Windsor Park Plate (1600m) at Hastings in New Zealand.
To get in on the Cox Plate betting action today before prices on your favourites firm, head to Luxbet and open a new account depositing and quoting the codeword BONUSBET and you will also receive a bonus $400 bet to use this spring!
2011 George Main Stakes Results & Finishing Order
| Place | # | Horse | Trainer | Jockey | Margin | Br. | Wgt. | SP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 5 | SINCERO | Stephen Farley | Chris O’Brien | - | 8 | 58.5kg | $2.15F |
| 2 | 6 | ILOVETHISCITY | Grahame Begg | Brenton Avdulla | 0.3L | 6 | 58.5kg | $4.60 |
| 3 | 3 | TRIPLE ELEGANCE | Chris Waller | Jim Cassidy | 1.1L | 1 | 59kg | $8.50 |
| 4 | 1 | BLACK PIRANHA | Con Karakatsanis | Matthew Palmer | 3.3L | 3 | 59kg | $19 |
| 5 | 4 | ZARA DANCER (NZ) | Bruce Wallace | Nathan Berry | 6.5L | 5 | 59kg | $101 |
| 6 | 2 | GATHERING | John P Thompson | Joao Moreira | 7.3L | 2 | 59kg | $11 |
| 7 | 8 | DO RA MI (NZ) | Peter G Moody | Glyn Schofield | 8L | 7 | 56.5kg | $14 |
| 8 | 7 | SACRED CHOICE | Joseph Pride | Corey Brown | 10.8L | 4 | 57kg | $9 |
