The Group 3 $200,000 Newcastle Cup (2300m) is the confirmed next-up target for the Richard & Michael Freedman-trained Paths Of Glory following the imported grey’s upset win in the 2020 Wyong Gold Cup on Friday.

Wyong Gold Cup winner Paths Of Glory targets the 2020 Newcastle Cup next-up. Photo: Steve Hart.

The Freedmans denied premier trainer Chris Waller an eighth win in the popular Listed $160,000 2020 Carlton Draught Wyong Gold Cup (2100m) thanks to a final-stride win by their Mastercraftsman six-year-old Paths Of Glory.

The progressive stayer made it two-from-four since debuting in Australia this winter and was given a perfectly timed ride in the Wyong feature race by jockey Rachel King who weaved her way through the field before getting the late gap.

Punters didn’t quite know where to look late with plenty of chances across the field.

It was Path’s Of Glory ($13) whose staying pedigree kicked in however and he was able to hold off The Lord Mayor ($6), trained by seven-time Wyong Gold Cup winner Waller, by a long neck with the Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott-trained Hush Writer ($5) the same margin back third.

The Waller-trained favourite Savacool ($4.40) meanwhile had to settle for a luckless fourth still only three-quarters of a length beaten.

“Rachel’s ride was sensational,” co-trainer Richard Freedman told Sky Thoroughbred Central after the win on Friday.

“I said to Rachel before the race, ‘look he’s first up for a while over 2100, you’re going to have to give him a rest somewhere’.

“She might have taken that a bit literally, he was resting away at the back there where he’s never raced.”

Freedman is now keen to get the horse out over further for the 2020 Newcastle Cup on September 18, a race won last year by Friday’s Wyong Gold Cup third placegetter Hush Writer.

“He is a genuine, genuine stayer. The longer they get, the better he will go,” Freedman said.

The Wyong Gold Cup results capped off a feature race double for King who earlier on the card won the Listed $140,000 Mona Lisa Stakes (1350m) aboard the Godolphin-raced Asiago ($21) in another patiently-timed upset.

Debuting as a four-year-old, the James Cummings-trained Medaglia D’Oro mare celebrated her first victory since the Group 3 Kembla Grange Classic (1600m) back in mid-May and looked improved since her ninth in the Group 1 Schweppes Oaks (2000m) in early May.

“She had a nice prep last time and we gave her a nice break after a trip to Adelaide,” Godolphin representative Nacim Dilmi said.

“She’s in for a nice spring.”

It was the second Mona Lisa Stakes win for Cummings in three years following the 2018 success of the talented Savatiano, last seen winning the Group 2 P.B. Lawrence Stakes.

Asiago could also be set for a Newcastle Cup Day run in a fortnight targeting the Group 3 $160,000 Tibbie Stakes (1400m).

2020 Wyong Gold Cup Results

Colour	Finish	No.	Horse	Trainer	Jockey	Margin	Bar.	Weight	Penalty	Starting Price
	1	9	PATHS OF GLORY (GB)	Richard & Michael Freedman	Ms Rachel King		3	54kg		$13
	2	4	THE LORD MAYOR (NZ)	Chris Waller	James McDonald	0.17L	2	55.5kg		$6
	3	2	HUSH WRITER (JPN)	Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott	Tim Clark	0.36L	6	58.5kg		$5
	4	5	SAVACOOL (NZ)	Chris Waller	Brenton Avdulla	0.74L	5	54.5kg		$4.40F
	5	6	ATTENTION RUN (GER)	Kris Lees	Kerrin McEvoy	2.53L	7	54kg		$8
	6	12	SPENCER	Bjorn Baker	Glyn Schofield	2.83L	11	54kg		$20
	7	10	COSTELLO	David Payne	Robbie Dolan	4.36L	10	54kg		$14
	8	13	JAZZLAND	Kristen Buchanan	Grant Buckley	8.51L	9	54kg		$21
	9	11	KISS THE BRIDE (NZ)	Bjorn Baker	Glen Boss	10.96L	1	54kg		$6
	10	1	RAHEEN HOUSE (IRE)	Kris Lees	Nash Rawiller	11.8L	4	60.5kg		$15
	11	7	ZACADA (NZ)	Jim & Greg Lee	Regan Bayliss	12.53L	8	54kg (cd 55kg)		$101
		8	TORYJOY	Chris Waller	Ms Kathy O’Hara		0
		3	BIG DUKE (IRE)	Kris Lees	Jason Collett		0

Table Credit: Racing Australia.