Chris Waller’s evergreen nine-year-old Who Shot Thebarman finally broke through to win the Sydney Cup 2018 at his fifth attempt in the two mile classic saluting by the bob of a head.
Rising 10-year-old Who Shot Thebarman finally won the Sydney Cup 2018 at his fifth attempt in the two mile classic. Photo: Steve Hart.
One race after stablemate Winx made history with her 25th win on the trot in the Queen Elizabeth Stakes results, it was Waller on top again with his marvellous old stayer Who Shot Thebarman winning the Group 1 $2 million Schweppes Sydney Cup (3200m).
At start number 51, the Kiwi expat handed Waller a third Group 1 win on Day 2 of ‘The Championships’ with the stable’s young filly Unforgotten also winning the Australian Oaks earlier on the card.
Yamanin Vital gelding Who Shot Thebarman ran ninth in the 2014 Sydney Cup, crossed second to stablemate Grand Marshal in 2015, placed fourth in 2016 and ran in both editions in 2017 including the official re-run when second to Polarisation.
The always-honest horse’s wins however have been few and far between, his latest being in the Group 2 Moonee Valley Cup (2500m) last October before he had to be scratched from the Melbourne Cup due to a temperature.
Waller and connections did not panic however with the Sydney Cup 2018 always in their sights.
“Quite amazing,” Waller said after winning his third Sydney Cup.
“He’s been such a frustrating horse because he’s run so many great seconds and thirds in Melbourne Cups and Sydney Cups.
“He’s given us one hell of a ride.
“If Winx isn’t a pretty good advertisement on how to look after a horse, Who Shot Thebarman takes the cake.
“It shows we’re not just a one horse stable, every horse gets care and attention.
“We’re so bloody proud of it.”
After a last start third to today’s favourite Almandin in the Group 1 Tancred Stakes (2400m) at Rosehill a fortnight back, Who Shot Thebarman looked like he might have to settle for a third Sydney Cup second when the result went to a photo finish.
On the outside with jockey Blake Shinn aboard for his career 19th Group 1 winning ride, Who Shot Thebarman ($17) was shown to have narrowly got the upper hand over the $91 roughie hope from New Zealand Zacada who was only a length beaten in the Group 1 Auckland Cup (3200m) running fifth over the two miles two back.
“I thought I had pinched it. I was very upset to see that I got beat on the line. It was a good, tough effort and a great training performance,” Zacada’s hoop Dean Holland said after the disappointing loss.
Rounding out the Sydney Cup trifecta in third was the fellow Kiwi-trained Sir Charles Road ($7) on the quick back-up having won last weekend’s Group 2 Chairman’s Quality (2600m), which Zacada placed 10th in.
“What a thrilling finish, if there is every a horse that deserves to win a Sydney Cup it’s him, only narrowly beaten in two, nine-years-old and he’s got a great group of owners that follow him around every year,” Sydney Cup winning hoop Shinn said of Who Shot Thebarman.
“This is for the horse, credit to Chris Waller and his team getting him to backup every year.
“It means a lot to me to be able to do it for those guys, they’ve stuck solid with me the last couple of years riding him and it’s a massive thrill to be able to get him over the line today.”
The Sydney Cup field was led around this autumn by Cismontane, while Shinn had Who Shot Thebarman settled third last in the run.
It was a bunched pack as the home turn approached, and on the straight jockey Andrew Adkins pinched ground getting the inside run on Sir Charles Road who took the lead 350m out.
Who Shot Thebarman to the outside was charging home along with Zacada, the nine-year-old scoring the narrow victory to hand Waller his 81st Group 1 win as a trainer.
Another run in Victoria’s Group 1 $6 million Melbourne Cup (3200m) could now be on the cards for Who Shot Thebarman this spring on the first Tuesday of November.
For all the best autumn Group 1 racing odds and offers, head to Ladbrokes.com.au now.
2018 Sydney Cup Results & Finishing Order
Randwick Race 8 – 14/04/2018
| Place | # | Horse | Trainer | Jockey | Margin | Br. | Weight | SP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | WHO SHOT THEBARMAN (NZ) | Chris Waller | Blake Shinn | – | 10 | 55kg | $18 |
| 2 | 12 | ZACADA (NZ) | Murray Baker & Andrew Forsman | Dean Holland | 0.1L | 11 | 50.5kg | $91 |
| 3 | 13 | SIR CHARLES ROAD | Lance O’Sullivan & Andrew Scott | Andrew Adkins | 1.1L | 4 | 50kg | $7 |
| 4 | 8 | AUVRAY (FR) | Richard Freedman | Glyn Schofield | 1.2L | 1 | 52kg (cd 53kg) | $13 |
| 5 | 15 | LASQUETI SPIRIT | Lee Curtis | Jay Ford | 2.4L | 16 | 50kg (cd 51kg) | $151 |
| 6 | 17 | PATRICK ERIN (NZ) | Chris Waller | Craig Newitt | 3L | 15 | 50kg (cd 51kg) | $41 |
| 7 | 21e | DOUKHAN (IRE) | Kris Lees | Yusuke Ichikawa | 4.4L | 13 | 50kg | $101 |
| 8 | 1 | ALMANDIN (GER) | Liam Howley | Damien Oliver | 5.4L | 5 | 57kg | $3.70F |
| 9 | 4 | VENTURA STORM (IRE) | David & B Hayes & T Dabernig | Glen Boss | 8L | 8 | 53.5kg | $9.50 |
| 10 | 7 | FIVE TO MIDNIGHT (NZ) | Lisa Latta | Michael Dee | 8.8L | 9 | 52.5kg | $41 |
| 11 | 19 | ADMIRAL JELLO | Kris Lees | Grant Buckley | 10.9L | 14 | 50kg | $151 |
| 12 | 3 | LIBRAN (IRE) | Chris Waller | Brenton Avdulla | 11.1L | 17 | 54kg | $61 |
| 13 | 9 | LORD FANDANGO (GER) | Archie Alexander | Craig Williams | 16.7L | 2 | 51.5kg | $10 |
| 14 | 18 | PERIBSEN (IRE) | John O’Shea | Corey Brown | 23.5L | 6 | 50kg | $31 |
| 15 | 16 | CISMONTANE (NZ) | Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott | James Innes Jnr (a) | 27.4L | 3 | 50kg | $51 |
| 16 | 20 | ORMITO (GER) | Darren Weir | Dean Yendall | 28.3L | 7 | 50kg | $21 |
| FF | 10 | ALOFT (IRE) | Liam Howley | Kerrin McEvoy | – | 12 | 51kg (incl. 1.0kg penalty) | $6 |
| SB | 6 | PRE STWICK (JPN) | Yoshinori Muto | Joao Moreira | – | 0 | 53kg | $11 |
| – | 11 | FANATIC (NZ) | David & B Hayes & T Dabernig | Jye McNeil | – | 0 | – | – |
| – | 5 | SINGLE GAZE | Nick Olive | Ms Kathy O’Hara | – | 0 | – | – |
| – | 14 | GALLIC CHIEFTAIN (FR) | Darren Weir | Blake Spriggs | – | 0 | – | – |
