Grafton Cup the ideal chance for Bear On The Loose to end winless streak
By Neil Evans
Like his name suggests, he’s been on the loose trying to snap a winning drought that’s stretched for more than a year. Thursday’s feature Grafton Cup presents an ideal chance to restore that winning feeling.
Bear On The Loose, a tough and still lightly raced five-year-old in the Gai Waterhouse-Adrian Bott stable at Randwick, hasn’t won since a debut Australian win in a BM 78 Hcp over 1800m at Rosehill in June 2024.
Bear On The Loose (inside) racing at Randwick in May.Credit: Getty Images
That front-running effort in heavy going came nearly nine months after his last UK start, an 85-rating win to cap three victories in four outings before he was brought to Australia with a growing staying reputation.
But stop-start campaigns and frustration kicked in through the second half of last year, with Bear On The Loose placed only once in four more starts up to group 3 level.
He was then spelled before returning in autumn via a series of quiet trials, and looked primed for a big prep when he was edged out by a nose first-up at Hawkesbury in a strong BM 94 over a mile.
Since then, though, he has beaten all but the winner in four of his five runs, including the Listed Winter Cup at Rosehill and Caloundra Cup on the Sunshine Coast.
Yet, Bear On The Loose has never been fitter, and better placed to claim a feature Listed country cup, and return to winning ways.
Opening around $5 in betting behind early favourite Belvedere Boys ($4.20), Bear On The Loose’s biggest danger could well be another British import following a similar timeline.
Talented mare Quietness is more sparingly raced, but primed to fire third-up for the rival Randwick training combination of John O’Shea and Tom Charlton.
A five-time winner from 13 starts, including four in five outings across the UK last year, Quietness similarly came off a nine-month spell after heading Down Under to charge home into a place at Randwick in early June.
She then only missed by a length in Listed company at Eagle Farm 19 days ago, and given she’s by renowned UK staying sire Bated Breath, the longer journey at Grafton looks right up her alley.
Quietness was on the second line of early betting around $4.80, with another import Glory Daze ($7.00) and Don Diego De Vega ($8.50) the only other runners in single figures.
Supplied by Racing NSW
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