The 2014 Sydney Cup odds of The Offer have lengthened in the past 24 hours, but trainer Gai Waterhouseremains confident that the imported stayer is the horse to beat in the Group 1 event at Royal Randwick this afternoon.
Gai Waterhouse is confident that The Offer will score his maiden win at Group 1 level in the 2014 Sydney Cup at Royal Randwick this afternoon. Photo by: Steve Hart
The Offer opened at 2014 Sydney Cup odds as short as $2.60 earlier in the week, when the track was rated a heavy nine, but the price of the Montjeu gelding has drifted out to $3.60 as the condition of the Royal Randwick track has improved.
The five-year-old stamped himself as a stayer to watch with a dominant win on a heavy track in the Listed Ballarat Cup (2200m) on November 24 last year and was backed into Sydney Cup favoritism after scoring strong wins in the Group 3 Manion Cup (2400m) at Rosehill Gardens on March 29 and the Group 2 Chairman’s Handicap (2600m) at Royal Randwick last weekend.
The Offer has produced his best form on heavy surfaces, but trainer told Sky Racing HQ this morning that she remains confident that the in-form stayer is the horse to beat in the Sydney Cup this afternoon.
“He will win the race,” Waterhouse said.
“He will win the race hands down; he is too good for these stayers.
“There are a couple of very decent Kiwi horses in the race, but this is a very exciting horse.”
Auckland Cup winner Who Shot Thebarman ($6.50), progressive gelding Sertorius ($8.50) and Irish St Leger winner Voleuse De Coeurs ($9.50) have all received support in 2014 Sydney Cup betting markets, but the best-backed runner has been three-year-old Tupac Amaru ($10).
Tupac Amaru has recorded just a single race win from ten career starts, taking out the City Of Ballarat Plate (1600m) during the 2013 Spring Racing Carnival, but according to trainer Peter Snowden is an out and out stayer, who will relish the step-up to 3200 metres.
The Street Cry colt has improved each time he has stepped up in distance this campaign and he was strong on the line late when second behind Criterion in the Group 1 Australian Derby (2400m) at Royal Randwick on April 12.
No three-year-old has won the Sydney Cup since Tie The Knot took out the 1998 edition of the race and Tupac Amaru will carry 54 kilograms in the Group 1 event, but that has stopped punters taking the Sydney Cup odds on offer for the gritty stayer.
