A classy list of end-of-season stayers make up the Christmas Cup 2012 nominations for the popular Sydney Summer Racing Carnival clash running at Rosehill Gardens this Saturday.
ATC Cup winner Fiumicino is the top rated Christmas Cup 2012 nominee
The top-rated horse among the 11 nominated for this year’s edition of the $100,000 Listed Christmas Cup (2400m) is the Michael, Wayne and John Hawkes-trained Fiumicino who comes off a win in the Listed ATC Cup (2200m) at Warwick Farm at the start of the month.
A veteran son of Zabeel, nine-year-old Fiumicino steps back up to the mile and a half on Saturday and is sure to start near the top of the markets based on their recent good form that also included a third behind new boom stayer Puissance De Lune in the Bendigo Cup.
The horses that ran two-three behind Fiumicino in the ATC (Frank Underwood) Cup last start are also both nominated to back up in the Christmas Cup with King Utah (2nd) and Moriarty (3rd) in the mix.
Wayne Wilkes‘ Bradbury’s Luck five-year-old King Utah has won two of their past four starts including one over the 2400m at Warwick Farm back in October while the Chris Waller-trained Moriarty has also been in top form this time in.
After three straight wins back in September – October the English import posted two second place finishes at Rosehill before going up to the 2200m for the first time in their 21-start career when third in the ATC Cup.
The other big name entry in the Christmas Cup nominations is then Bjorn Baker’s Redoute’s Choice gelding Cantonese.
Cantonese beat home fellow Christmas Cup hopefuls Moriarty and Iggie Pop in a 2000m handicap at Rosehill two back before their close last start fourth when defeated by just over half a length by Scream Machine in another race over the same track and distance last Saturday.
See below for the current 2012 Christmas Cup entries with the final field to be released on Wednesday and published right here at Races.com.au.
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2012 Christmas Cup Nominations
Rosehill Gardens – 15/12/2012
| # | Horse | Trainer | Hcp. Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CANTONESE | Bjorn Baker | 86 |
| 2 | COURT CONNECTION | Danny Williams | 74 |
| 3 | DREAMWORKER | David Pfieffer | 70 |
| 4 | FIUMICINO (NZ) | Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes | 97 |
| 5 | FROMELLES (NZ) | John Sargent | 84 |
| 6 | IGGI POP (NZ) | John O’Shea | 72 |
| 7 | KING UTAH | Wayne Wilkes | 76 |
| 8 | MORIARTY (IRE) | Chris Waller | 89 |
| 9 | PLATINUM JACK | Scott Singleton | 62 |
| 10 | TRAJET | Liam Birchley | 74 |
| 11 | WATERTIGHT | Robert Price | 68 |
