The 2016 Australian Cup is an option for star mare Delicacy after she recorded an outstanding victory in the Perth Cup at Ascot on Saturday.
Delicacy could take on some of the best horses in Australia in the 2016 Australian Cup. Photo by: Jenny Barnes
Delicacy went into the Perth Cup as an easing favourite following the decision of leading Perth hoop William Pike to ride Neverland in the Group 2 event, but the daughter of Al Maher defied the big weight of 59 kilograms to add another feature race victory to her already outstanding racing resume.
Neverland and Real Love also found the line strongly to deliver owner Bob Peters an incredible Perth Cup trifecta and the leading owner revealed after the race that Delicacy’s victory was his most special win in the Perth Cup since he first took out the race in 1993 with Field Officer.
“She surprised us last year and she keeps doing it this year,” Peters told the media after the race.
“She continues to raise the bar.
“This win is probably up there with the first one.
“The first one always holds special memories.”
Delicacy stamped herself as one of the most talented fillies in the country when she travelled to South Australia to take out the Group 1 Australasian Oaks (2000m) on May 2 as well as the Group 1 South Australian Derby (2500m) a week later and a trip to the Eastern seaboard of Australia is now on the agenda for the four-year-old.
The Group 1 Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2000) at Royal Randwick during The Championships was expected to be the target for Delicacy, but Peters confirmed that the Group 1 Australian Cup (2000m) at Flemington on March 12 could be an option for his star mare.
“I will have a look at that, have a look at the logistics of getting to something like the Australian Cup, but we will just see how she pulls up,” Peters said.
“She will go to the paddock tomorrow for a little while
“Last time she got a couple of days and we will see what she gets this time.”
Delicacy made her racing debut with a win at Belmont Park in June of 2014 and she has since recorded wins in the Ascot 1000 Guineas, Natasha Stakes, Western Australian Champion Fillies Stakes, Western Australian Oaks, WATC Derby, Australasian Oaks, South Australian Derby, Cox Stakes and Perth Cup.
