‘Can’t wait to get him to 2000m’: Franz Josef builds on reputation at Rosehill Gardens

The Gerald Ryan and Sterling Alexiou-trained gelding had to do the bulk of the chasing but was up to the challenge as he wore down the leaders to claim the Racing For Good On July 13 Benchmark 78 Handicap (1500m).

Kerrin McEvoy rides Franz Josef to victory.

Franz Josef enhanced his growing reputation as potential spring carnival contender with another strong performance to win at Rosehill Gardens on Saturday.

The Gerald Ryan and Sterling Alexiou-trained gelding had to do the bulk of the chasing but was up to the challenge as he wore down the leaders to claim the Racing For Good On July 13 Benchmark 78 Handicap (1500m).

Franz Josef ($1.50 fav) brought up his fourth win in five starts with a half a length victory from Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott’s I’mintowin ($8.50) with Marc Conners’ Danish Prince ($11) in third.

“It was a good win,” jockey Kerrin McEvoy said.

“He got a nice drop on those two pace horses and he had to be gritty. I was worried at the 600m and the 500m and the 400m but to his credit, he was able to balance up and come out of that bad section of the track and put his authority on the race.”

Franz Josef eventually gets the better of I'mintowin to score! @[e-mail]/HH6YUC23yB

— 7HorseRacing 🐎 (@7horseracing) June 15, 2024

Ryan and Alexiou made the decision to keep Franz Josef in Sydney instead of running in the Group 3 Gunsynd Classic (1600m) at Eagle Farm in Brisbane on the same day.

It proved a profitable decision as Franz Josef got through the heavy conditions on his home track to win again.

“He is a nice horse that’s progressing well,” Ryan said.

“I was talking to Ron (Wanless) during the week and he asked what would be his best distance.

McEvoy returns to scale.

“I can’t wait to get him to 1800m and 2000m. Whether we do it this time around, we will play it by ear and see.”

There remains an option that Franz Josef could contest the Group 3 Winx Guineas in three weeks but keeping the gelding closer to home is a more likely.

“The races are here for him,” Ryan said.

“The next three wins we could have on the agenda are all on his home track and there is not a heap of difference in prizemoney.

“Sure it’s a stakes race but he is a gelding and we don’t his mother or his sisters so we will just go chasing prizemoney.”

THREE WIDE NO WORRIES FOR CAPTAIN FURAI

Captain Furai and rider Josh Parr turned what was a horror watch mid-race into an impressive win at Rosehill Gardens on Saturday.

Try as he might, Parr could not slot in on Captain Furai early and was left three-wide without cover in the TAB Handicap (1400m).

But the tough run didn’t prevent Captain Furai from forging clear in the straight to record his third win and a second placing in his four-start debut preparation.

Charlie Duckworth, the stable representative for trainer Chris Waller, admitted mid-race he was wishing they had waited for a later race in the day where dual acceptor Captain Furai had drawn the rails barrier.

“Down the back when the horse was three wide, I started thinking about when we were sitting there at 7.29am and tossing up whether to run Captain Furai here or the later race,’’ Duckworth said.

"The captains home!"

Captain Furai shows too much class to win. @[e-mail]/2TKAA6uiO4

— 7HorseRacing 🐎 (@7horseracing) June 15, 2024

“He was having a rough time of things in the early and middle stages and it looked like we had have pulled the wrong rein and should have waited for the other race.

“Josh (Parr, jockey) tried his hardest to give him a nice ride but wasn’t afforded any opportunity by anyone

“But that was good, competitive riding. If you are riding against a $2 shot you should be making it harder for that horse. Captain Furai had to be good to pull it out and win.’’

Captain Furai ($2.35 favourite) took the lead at the top of the straight and comfortably held his rivals at bay to win by one-and-a-quarter lengths from Silvanito ($9.50) with Little Cointreau ($9) a close third.

Waller completed a hat-trick of wins in successive races with Captain Furai the middle leg and complementing the successes of stablemate Strathtay and Amati.

“Captain Furai is not a massive body but for his first preparation he has done more than we could have asked and is now a Saturday city winner,’’ Duckworth said.

“I will see what Chris (Waller) wants to do but it is likely we will put him away and aim up at a spring campaign.

“We might start off by aiming low in the spring and if he comes back and dominates we can always aim up.’’

Originally published as ‘Can’t wait to get him to 2000m’: Franz Josef builds on reputation at Rosehill Gardens