A desire to race Sully on a rain-affected track has prompted Victorian-based co-trainers Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young to look to the WJ McKell Cup in Sydney with the gelding who will be chasing an overdue win.
Sully has not won since the spring of 2017, but during his five-run spring campaign last year the five-year-old was beaten by the barest margin in the Group Three JRA Cup (2040m) at The Valley and was third in the Group Two Herbert Power Stakes (2400m).
Busuttin said the prospect of rain-affected ground and getting in on the limit weight of 54kg made Saturday’s 2000m Listed race at Rosehill the more attractive option for Sully who had also been nominated for Saturday’s 2000m handicap at Caulfield.
Sully is among a field of 14 for the McKell Cup with Rosehill rated heavy on Wednesday.
While Sully has been unplaced in his two starts this preparation in Victoria, including a last-start sixth in the Swan Hill Cup, Busuttin believes the gelding is going well and is better suited on softer going at this stage of his career.
“I thought he ran well last-start at Swan Hill over 1600 metres which was short of his best, but more so the track was unseasonably hard for this time year,” Busuttin said.
“He’s had a few injuries and he probably needs a wet track to let down on so we looked to this race.
“There was the 2000 metre-race at Caulfield on Saturday but we’ve opted to go to the McKell Cup for the wet track, and also the weight scale is a big thing.
“He had 61kg in Melbourne compared to 54kg in Sydney so it’s a bit of a no-brainer as far as the weight scale is concerned.”
Attention Run was $4.20 favourite in an early market on Wednesday ahead of Carzoff ($5).
Sully was at $5.50 along with top weight Wu Gok who has won the Lord Mayors Cup and Winter Cup at Rosehill in his two starts this campaign.
“We wouldn’t be sending him up there unless we think he could win,” Busuttin said.
“It’s been a long time between drinks for him so I’m not saying he will win, but he’s going up there to be competitive.”
Sully raced three times in Sydney during his three-year-old season, finishing third in the Group One Spring Champion Stakes and unplaced in the Randwick Guineas, while his only Rosehill appearance was a fourth placing in the 2017 Gloaming Stakes.