Byrne equals Toowoomba Cup riding record
Class told as Cylinder Beach gave jockey Jim Byrne a record-equalling fourth Toowoomba Cup.
Trainer Desleigh Forster planned to have Cylinder Beach at Randwick on Saturday taking on superstar Winx in the Group One Queen Elizabeth Stakes.
Instead she brought Cylinder Beach home to Queensland and elected to go to Toowoomba for the $100,000 Cup.
Cylinder Beach ($2.50) proved her right when he was far too strong for Magnatune ($26) in the final 200m.
“I wasn’t afraid to take on Sydney carnival class with him but basically it was too wet down there,” she said.
“But he was the class horse of the Toowoomba Cup as his last start in Sydney he was beaten ony 2.6 lengths by Its Somewhat who won the Doncaster.
“I know he had 59.5 kilos today but most of the rest should have been on 50 kilos not the minimum here of 54 kilos.
“Gai Waterhouse showed that class horses could win the Toowoomba Cup with Pornichet two years ago and he went on to be a Group One performer.”
Forster plans to set Cylinder Beach for the staying races during the winter carnival with the Brisbane Cup his ultimate aim.
“Some people were questioning him as a stayer before today but I knew he would handle it,” she said.
“But he did finish second in the Group Two Rough Habit Plate at his only other start at 2000 metres.”
Byrne did not have the easiest of rides on Cylinder Beach who joined Dutch Boy (1994), Tis Love (2001) and Honey Toast (2016) as his Toowoomba Cup winners.
“He got back in the field but once I got on the back of one I was able to travel into the race and he was too strong,” Byrne said.
Larry Cassidy said Magnatune had run a brave race but found one too good.