TASMANIAN stayer Norsqui surprised even his trainer Walter McShane when he ran strongly to claim an easy victory in yesterday's $300,000 Mornington Cup, which has given him a guaranteed start in this year's group 1 Caulfield Cup, reports The Age. It says: As part of the conditions of yesterday's event the winner of the cup is automatically exempt from any balloting clauses and is assured a start in the $2.5 million handicap in October. It's doubtful whether connections would pursue such lofty pr
TASMANIAN stayer Norsqui surprised even his trainer Walter McShane when he ran strongly to claim an easy victory in yesterday's $300,000 Mornington Cup, which has given him a guaranteed start in this year's group 1 Caulfield Cup, reports The Age.
It says: As part of the conditions of yesterday's event the winner of the cup is automatically exempt from any balloting clauses and is assured a start in the $2.5 million handicap in October. It's doubtful whether connections would pursue such lofty prizes at the next spring carnival as McShane said he believed Norsqui was better placed at 3200 metres.
''He's a two-miler,'' said McShane, who trains on the family farm at Broadmarsh, about a half-hour drive from Hobart.
Norsqui won the 2800-metre race at Flemington on Melbourne Cup day and was third in the 3200-metre Sandown Cup last spring before returning to Tasmania.
McShane, who bred the Matsqui five-year-old gelding and stands the sire on his Broadmarsh property, gave him two lead-up runs at Hobart, one of them a six-length second to subsequent group 3 Hobart Cup winner Geegees Blackflash in the Summer Cup (2100 metres). (www.theage.com.au)