German stayer Ibicenco earned a $100,000 consolation bonus for the Luca Cumani stable after taking out the Listed $150,000 Sportingbet Sandown Cup (3200m) at Sportingbet Sandown Park today.

Ibicenco

Ibicenco picked up a bonus $100,000 for winning the Sandown Cup. Photo by: Race Horse Photos Australia

Ibicenco proved to be the best stayer today and picked up the Melbourne Racing Club’s bonus for winning after being balloted out of the Group 1 $6m Emirates Melbourne Cup (3200m) at Flemington on November 6.

Cumani finally got some relief this Spring after bringing out a small team from England for the Melbourne Spring Carnival and Ibicenco was always going to be suited over the 3200m after his good form over similar distances back home.

Senior part owners OTI Racing will now transfer the five year to leading Melbourne trainer Peter Moody with the Sydney Autumn Carnival his next target.

“He will probably get the sack now Luca, because the horse will go to Peter Moody,” said Terry Henderson of OTI Racing.

“I think we will give him an easy time now and probably get him ready for the Sydney Cup and plan for next year. He’s still a very young horse so his career ‘s best is still ahead of him.”

Winning jockey Glen Boss made a long sustained run on Ibicenco and started his move going up the hill at the 1400m at the back of the steeple track and even though he was four and five wide on the corner, he had clear running in the straight scored a comfortable win from pacemaker Reuben Percival.

“I thought I was on the best two miler in the race, there aren’t too many in it,” Boss said.

“It was pretty painless. They wanted me on the speed from the get go, but the first half a mile was reasonably solid while they all got their spots.”

“Once I got to the 1400m mark or at the crossing about the mile the tempo slowed and then they got slower as they went up the hill as you would naturally expect. I just popped him out and let him have his head and he cruised up the hill off the bridle.’

“Once we got to the 1000m it was all over, he really got on the bridle and it was pretty painless from that point.”

Runner up Reuben Percival set the pace and battled on okay while Unusual Suspect ran his best race for the Spring for a game third.

About The Author

Mark Mazzaglia

Mark is a passionate journalist with a life-time involvement in the racing industry. He spent many years as an analyst and form expert at the Courier Mail and also has hands-on experience working with some of Queensland’s top trainers.