English stayer Young Rascal has been given a 1kg penalty for the 2020 Group 1 $2m Schweppes Sydney Cup (3200m) at Randwick on Day Two of The Championships on April 11.
Young Rascal, above in yellow colours, is the favourite for the 2020 Sydney Cup at Randwick. Photo by Steve Hart.
The William Haggas trained Young Rascal shot to the top of the Sydney Cup betting at Ladbrokes.com.au following his win in last Saturday’s Group 3 $160,000 Iron Jack N E Manion Cup (2400m) at Rosehill and is now the firming $2.60 favourite.
Young Rascal will now carry 56kg in the Sydney Cup, which includes the 1kg penalty for his dour win in the N E Manion Cup which saw him come back after being headed in the straight by runner up Mugatoo.
Stable representative Harry Eustace said that a trip to Hong Kong in December had been used to toughen up Young Rascal for his Sydney Cup assault.
“He was very brave there because coming off the bend he looked beaten but he always has been tough at home too. He really dug deep for us. It is fantastic,” Eustace said.
He went home from Hong Kong. Part of the planning behind that was to get a trip into him. It’s tough coming down here. It stood him in good stead, he settled in straight off the bat. He’s thrived since he’s been here.”
“If we could get a trip like that, from his draw Tom did incredibly well, so if we can get that again in the Sydney Cup it would be ideal.’’
The lightly weighted Carif and Supernova as well as the three year old Warning share the second line of Sydney Cup betting at $8.
The Peter and Paul Snowden trained Carif has had two runs back from a spell, his latest a third to Master Of Wine in the Group 3 $350,000 Sky High Stakes (2000m) at Rosehill on March 14 and is one of twelve nominations for the Group 1 Kia Tancred Stakes (2400m) at Rosehill On Saturday.
Supernova made up solid ground from the back to finish third in the N E Manion Cup while Victoria Derby winner Warning was beaten three and three quarter lengths when fifth to Castelvecchio in the Group 1 $600,000 Sky Racing Active Rosehill Guineas (2000m) at Rosehill last Saturday.
Early betting for the 2020 Sydney Cup at Ladbrokes.com.au: $2.60 Young Rascal, $8 Carif, Supernova, Warning, $11 Southern France, $15 Raheen House, The Chosen One, $17 Red Cardinal, $26 Attorney, Eastender, $31 Wolfe, $34 Avilius, Come Play With Me, Djukon, Esti Feny, Glory Days, Sound, $51 or better the rest.
