Lion’s Roar wins Wyong Cup to join Big Dance trail

Veteran galloper Lion’s Roar has earned a crack at The Big Dance after a “rewarding” win in the Wyong Cup on Friday.

Lion’s Roar holds off Luncies to win the Wyong Cup on Friday. Picture: Bradley Photos

Lion’s Roar and Luncies, the two oldest horses in the race, showed “Father Time” hasn’t caught up with them as they fought out a thrilling finish to the Listed $250,000 Wyong Gold Cup (2100m) at Wyong on Friday.

The John O’Shea and Tom Charlton-trained Lion’s Roar, the seven-year-old gelding shouldering topweight of 59kg, showed an admirable will-to-win when holding off his year-older rival, Luncies.

“This is really rewarding for the team,’’ O’Shea told Sky Thoroughbred Central.

“We had a plan in place to go to the Rowley Mile and then here. He took a massive step forward after Hawkesbury and I didn’t think he was too badly in at the weights.

“He has been a tremendous horse for Champion Thoroughbreds and the stable and with this win he makes his way into The Big Dance on Melbourne Cup Day.’’

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O’Shea also made particular mention of jockey Jason Collett’s tactically brilliant ride as Lion’s Roar ($3.30) scored by a half-length form Luncies ($20) with Manzoice ($4.80) perhaps a little unlucky finishing just over a length from the winner.

Etna Rosso was backed into $3.20 favouritism but after being given every possible chance by Kerrin McEvoy, he struggled to stay a strong 2100m and finished only fifth.

Lion's Roar screams in to win the Wyong Cup Cup!🏆 🦁 pic.twitter.com/3Wk267TMgo

— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) September 6, 2024

Collett said Lion’s Roar was nice and relaxed in the mounting yard then settled into a good rhythm during the race behind dashing frontrunner Camaguey.

“The leader started to up the tempo from the 1000m which I didn’t really want but I always felt he had control of the race – it was a really good win,’’ Collett enthused.

A Group 1 winner of the 2021 Randwick Guineas, Lion’s Roar’s race career since has been punctuated by injury and bad luck in running.

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After his career-high Guineas success, Lion’s Roar went winless for more than two years including narrow defeats in a number of feature races including close second and third placings in successive The Inghams before he finally broke through in the Group 3 Summer Cup last December.

Lion’s Roar indicated he was close to winning form again after his last start second in the Rowley Mile at Hawkesbury and the Wyong Cup was the gelding’s sixth career win at his 36th start taking his career earnings to more than $2.3m prizemoney.

Originally published as Lion’s Roar wins Wyong Cup to join Big Dance trail