The scratching of the Gai Waterhouse trained Reuben Percival forced a major market reshuffle in the $100,000 Sydney Markets Limited Stayers Cup (3200m) at Rosehill today.

Reuben Percival

Reuben Percival has been scratched from the Stayers Cup - photo © Steve Hart

The Peter Snowden trained Adroitly has replaced Reuben Percival as the $1.70 favourite with Emeritus firming into $4.70 with Reigning at $7.50 and Roi D’Jeu now an $8 chance.

Waterhouse took the option of scratching the Al Akbar five year old who was to front up for a third week in a row including a trip to Brisbane and back.

The top Sydney trainer sent Reuben Percival to Brisbane after winning the Listed $100,000 Canterbury BMW Winter Cup (2400m) at Warwick Farm on June 2 and the gelding performed reasonable with a fifth to Lights Of Heaven in the Group 2 $300,000 Australian Special Metals Brisbane Cup (2400m) at Eagle Farm last Saturday.

But Waterhouse made the decision to send Reuben Percival to the spelling paddock after a couple of gruelling weeks and bypass sending him over 3200m on a heavy track.

Snowden will be saddling his first runner in a 3200m race and is confident Adroitly has been well prepared for the test.

“I’ve never had a runner in a 3200m race,” Snowden said.

“I quite enjoy training him. He really loves his work.”

“He’s no superstar but he’s an honest horse and I enjoy the different sort of training.”

“He has been looking for this,” he said.

“It’s a race I’ve been wanting to run him in for quite a while.”

The Octagonal four year old is stepping up to the 3200m after racing over 2400m at his last two starts.

Adroitly finished strongly to score from Legsman for Kerrin McEvoy in the Listed $100,000 Dodo Electricity McKell Cup at Randwick on May 20 then ran a length fourth to Reuben Percival in the Winter Cup with Christian Reith aboard.

McEvoy is back on Adroitly who has good wet track  form with two wins from three goes on the heavy and one win on a slow track.

The Anthony Cummings trained Emeritus is stepping up in class after finishing third over 2100m in a Benchmark 70 at Gosford on May 30 and the start before won a Benchmark 60 over the same distance at Gosford on a heavy track.

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.