Connections of the progressing stayer So You Are can breathe a sigh of relief, as the horse has overcome a pre-race issue to now be firmly in contention for a Melbourne Cup start.
The Bjorn Baker-trained $3.30 favourite, with Tommy Berry in the saddle, fought hard to repel the challenge of Tempesti ($31) by three-quarters of a length in Saturday’s St Leger Stakes (2600m) at Randwick. This victory has secured his place in Australia’s most prestigious race.
However, the race was nearly abandoned before it began.
So You Are was discovered to be without a lead bag before parading, necessitating its removal, a gear check, and then re-equipping the horse.
Baker’s assistant, Glen Lobb, was tasked with the final preparation and received a forceful shove from the horse that sent him sprawling.
Fortunately, Lobb was unharmed. Although So You Are seemed unsettled by the extra attention, he put the incident behind him to achieve his third consecutive win.
“Bit of a mistake. It worked out thankfully well,” Baker said.
“I did say to Tommy (Berry), ‘I’ll give you a bit of cash if you tell ‘Stuey’ (owner Stuart Ramsey) it was your fault’.
“He (So You Are) is an iron man, and he was good late. I knew he’d keep finding and massive thrill to win on a day like today. How special.”
So You Are currently carries 52kg for the Melbourne Cup (3200m), and Baker confirmed their intention for the horse to participate.
“He’s a really, really good stayer. I can’t wait to see him over two miles,” he stated.
“I’m sure he’ll be able to get into the Melbourne Cup off that, so hopefully he comes through well.
“I’ve only had him for the four runs, so I’m the lucky benefactor of a really well-trained, straightforward racehorse.”
Klondike ($7.50) finished strongly for third, with jockey Zac Lloyd believing the import was close to a win.
“He went very well. I think he is ready to win,” Lloyd commented.
For those looking to back So You Are in the big one, check out the latest Australian betting sites for the best odds.