Jockey Damian Lane agreed that three-peat winner Glentaneous is a genuine contender for a race like the Adelaide Cup after the UK-import went from last-to-first in winning the Listed Bagot Handicap (2800m).
The traditional New Year’s Day feature at Flemington saw the $2.70 betting site favourite settle at the rear of the field until into the home straight when Lane took the six-year-old to the centre of the course and round-up the field to go on a score by two-lengths over Amade ($13) with Grand Pierro ($21) a head-margin away in third.
“The pace slackened for a few furlongs and then it picked up quite quickly which suited my bloke,” Lane said.
“He’s certainly capable ability-wise for races like that,” he added with reference to the Group 2 Adelaide Cup (3200m) on March 11.
With wins at Sandown over 2400-metres, Moonee Valley over 2500-metres, and now this 2800-metre staying contest, Glentaneous’ stocks are rising for 2023 Caulfield Cup and Melbourne Cups-winning co-trainers Anthony and Sam Freedman.
“He’s always shown us ability,” stable representative Brad Taylor said.
“He’s had a couple of niggling issues in behind which held up getting him to the races and he needed another break (after last summer), but they are all under control and we’ve always thought he was a progressive stayer.
“After his run first-up at Sandown in October, Sam said let’s target the Bagot and work back from there.”
With that plan coming off, Taylor also referenced the Group 1 Sydney Cup (3200m) as a possibility during The Championships in April.
Now six runs into this preparation, the signs are not yet there to pull back on the workload.
“These Europeans, they can tick over for a long time so we can just get him down to the farm and tinker away with him,” Taylor added.
“But the way he won here today, he might even be up to a Sydney Cup.”