While all of Scone’s other major races have been transferred to Rosehill Gardens on Saturday, tradition has held firm and the Scone Cup will be run and won at its traditional home on Friday afternoon.

The Scone Cup typically draws a decent field of milers and that is certainly the case in 2020, with names like Big Duke, Dr Drill and Live And Free all confirmed for a start. 

Scone Cup – Winner

No. 11 Phaistos – Bet Now: $5.00

Phaistos has returned to the track in typically strong form this time and will take a power of beating third-up in the Scone Cup.

It is fair to say that the four-year-old son of Helmet doesn’t know how to run a bad race, having recorded six wins and as many minors from only fifteen career starts.

He flew home to just missed over 1400m at Randwick when resuming this time and was last seen beating a sharp field in BM88 company last time out.

This is obviously harder, but fitter third-up and out to the mile, he’ll be hard to hold out.

Scone Cup – 2nd

No. 4 Dr Drill – Bet Now: $18.00

Dr Drill returned a flat effort in the same race that Phaistos resumed in at his most-recent appearance, but he is a far better horse than that suggested, and he can bounce back in the Scone Cup.

The Dansili gelding has been a good horse for the Ciaron Maher & David Eustace stable since arriving in Australia and won some good races in the spring, including the Listed Cranbourne Cup.

His only other run this preparation was a credible third placing in the Listed Abell Stakes and he should be suited to the conditions of this race.

Scone Cup – 3rd

No. 10 Live And Free – Bet Now: $5.50

Live And Free has continued to improve with each preparation and as the bar has been raised, and the Scone Cup looks a lovely feature race for him.

The Savabeel gelding is a multiple placegetter in black type company and returned from a spell at Rosehill a couple of weeks ago to finish a head second behind Amangiri in the Hawkesbury Gold Cup.

Any improvement on that effort would see him into the finish of this race, but he will need luck in transit after drawing the potentially sticky barrier 13.

Scone Cup – 4th

No. 7 Sambro – Bet Now: $14.00

Sambro is a horse who usually enjoys sharp improvement with a run under his belt and he is drawn to receive a lovely run in the Scone Cup 2020.

The Fastnet Rock gelding most famously won the Group 2 Queensland Guineas over 1600m a couple of years ago and he certainly hasn’t lost admirers since then, thought he also hasn’t quite returned to those lofty expectations.

A repeat of his last second-up run, a head third behind Quackerjack in the Group 2 Villiers Stakes in December would be good enough to see him into this finish of this race.

Scone Cup Suggested Bets