Tycoon triumphs in Tattersall’s Cup

Saturday, 23rd November 2013
Black Tycoon’s victory in the LR Tattersall’s Cup (2100m) at Ascot was a triumph for trainer Justin Warwick.

A former champion horseman in the harness industry, Warwick realised Black Tycoon needed a longer trip that the Railway Stakes (1600m) and that was borne out on Super Saturday.

“He was qualified for the Railway Stakes and I tried to get some weight on him for that race,” Warwick said. “But it didn’t work – he’s much better going over more distance than a mile.”

Black Tycoon (8g Blackfriars – Dame Fontaine by Last Tycoon) had won the G3 Hyperion Stakes at Belmont in June and connections wanted him to stay in work for the Kalgoorlie Cup until they were over-ruled by Warwick.

“The owners come from the Goldfields but I knew the horse was a bit better than that,” Warwick explained. “He’s a natural so we gave him a break in readiness for a summer carnival.”

Visiting jockey Dougie Whyte settled Black Tycoon just behind the speed and the gelding accelerated to a winning lead at the top of the straight. “He travelled really sweetly and was tough at the end,” the Hong Kong champion said. “He could have won by further and it took me a long time to pull up. He could have gone around again!”

Those comments would have been music to the ears of Warwick who is setting Black Tycoon for the G2 Perth Cup (2400m) on January 1. The Tattersalls Cup has been a reliable guide to the Perth Cup with Cats Fun (2007), Black Tom (2006) and Crown Prosecutor (2004) completed the double in the last decade.

The Tattersalls Cup was the second feature win in as many week for Champion WA sire Blackfriars after Kerrific’s victory in the G3 R J Peters Stakes.

Blackfriars (Danehill) has established a substantial lead in this season’s Sunspeed premiership. The Scenic Lodge stallion has won the last three titles and is odds-on to claim a fourth in 2013-14.