Weir’s last words for Adelaide Cup: Master Of Arts has to improve

Victoria’s leading trainer Darren Weir believes that Master Of Arts has to improve if he is to win today’s Group 2 $400,000 Adelaide Cup (3200m) at Morphettville.

Trainer Darren Weir, above, believes that Master Of Arts has to improve to win the Adelaide Cup at Morphttville. Photo by Ultimate Racing Photos.

Trainer Darren Weir, above, believes that Master Of Arts has to improve to win the Adelaide Cup at Morphttville. Photo by Ultimate Racing Photos.

Master Of Arts is the current $4.60 favourite for the Adelaide Cup at Ladbrokes.com.au and is coming off a last start win in the Group 3 $120,000 James Boag’s Premium Lord Reims Stakes (2600m) at Morphettville on March 4.

While Master Of Arts got the winner’s cheque with a hard fourth neck victory over Adelaide Cup rival Puccini, Weir said that the win was not that impressive.

Weir is chasing another feature race win over the long weekend after Humidor won the Group 1 $1.5m Australian Cup (2000m) at Flemington last Saturday but said Master Of Arts would have to do better today to produce back to back wins at Morphettville wearing the winkers for the first time.

Weir has tried to keep Master Of Arts up to the mark in the lead up to the Adelaide Cup by sending over some jumps during his training sessions last week.

“He seems to be good. He went over there last Saturday and got the job done,” Weir told RSN’s Correct Weight.

“But It wasn’t that impressive to be honest. With the run he had he probably should have powered away with it a bit later in the race but he got the job done.”

“He has done a bit of jumping during the week, he went around in a hurdle school on Friday, just quietly, but it has really done him well I think.”

“It got him bouncing a bit and that will do him well but he has to run better than he did last Saturday to be able to win.”

Master Of Arts has drawn beautifully at barrier six in the large nineteen horse field and will be ridden by Australian Cup winning jockey Damian Lane who takes over the reins from John Allen who was aboard for the Lord Reims Stakes win.

On the second line of betting at $6 is the Robert Hickmott trained top weight Chance To Dance who is coming a last start second to Northwest Passage in the Listed $150,000 Torney Night Cup (2500m) at Moonee Valley on February 17 which followed a win in a 2400m Open Handicap at Caulfield on February 4.

Chance To Dance has drawn in close at barrier three and will be ridden by Ben Melham who has been aboard the seven year old at his last two starts.

Next in the Adelaide Cup betting is the Stuart Webb trained Annus Mirabilis at $7.50 just ahead of Danny O’Brien’s De Little Engine at $8 and Claire Lindop’s mount Mail It In at $10.

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.