The Sportsman upset several Melbourne Cup hopefuls when he scored a shock win in the Group Two Moonee Valley Gold Cup aided by a well-judged ride by Hugh Bowman.Bowman had the Russell Cameron-trained seven-year-old travelling well off race leader Golden Charmer before edging him forward to lead from the 1600m in the 2500m feature.Sent out at $31, The Sportsman held on for a three-quarter length win over Irazu ($21) with Think Money ($14) a half-length away third.Cameron said he gave the Kilimanj
The Sportsman upset several Melbourne Cup hopefuls when he scored a shock win in the Group Two Moonee Valley Gold Cup aided by a well-judged ride by Hugh Bowman.
Bowman had the Russell Cameron-trained seven-year-old travelling well off race leader Golden Charmer before edging him forward to lead from the 1600m in the 2500m feature.
Sent out at $31, The Sportsman held on for a three-quarter length win over Irazu ($21) with Think Money ($14) a half-length away third.
Cameron said he gave the Kilimanjaro gelding a rough chance on Saturday after schooling him in the morning, even though most of his best form was on wet tracks.
"I trained him when I was in New Zealand and he ran some good races on dry tracks too," he said.
"I jumped him this morning and it sharpened him right up.
"I had him in the Geelong Cup last Wednesday but he had a bit of mucus in his trachea so we just scratched him and waited for this.
"He's performed well against good Listed horses in New Zealand so we thought he had a chance.
"He'll probably go to the Saab now. He's done a good job already.
"He's certainly going better this time."
The Sportsman has won three races this preparation to take his record to 10 wins and 10 placings from 47 starts.
Hissing Sid was sent out $3.10 favourite and after being slow to jump he settled well back and never came into the race, finishing 10th.
"He was disappointing. He got shuffled back and never went a yard," jockey Craig Newitt said.