Waller and Bowman combine for Cup win
Hugh Bowman and Sacred Master have avenged their last-start defeat at Wyong with victory in the Newcastle Gold Cup.
The Chris Waller-trained Sacred Master was beaten by Slow Pace in the Wyong Gold Cup on September 2 but was more relaxed on Friday, beating Dee I Cee to win the $175,000 Newcastle equivalent.
“He delivered today,” Bowman told Sky Thoroughbred Central.
“I put him to sleep early and he relaxed so well.
“At Wyong i was a victim of Robbie Thompson genius.”
Robert Thompson couldn’t weave his magic again with Slow Pace beating just two runners home.
He was one of four horses from the Kris Lees stable as the trainer tried to win his first home town Cup.
Sense Of Occasion was the best of the quartet, running fourth behind minor placegetters Dee I Cee and the Waller-trained Junoob.
It was a second consecutive Newcastle Cup for the Bowman-Waller combination with the pair to reunite at Randwick on Saturday with champion mare Winx.
Lees was out of luck earlier in the day when Randwick Guineas winner Le Romain finished second to Godolphin’s Chetwood in the Group Three Cameron Handicap.
Le Romain had to give the winner five kilograms and could not make up the 1-1/2 lengths needed to overhaul the front runner.
Spirit Bird enhanced her spring hopes for new trainer James Cummings when she took out the other feature on the day, the Tibbie Stakes for fillies and mares.
Formerly trained by Nick Cox for prominent Perth businessman Neven Botica, Spirit Bird will now be set for more stakes races in the east.