Too Easy For Tucanchoo in Winter Cup

The well-travelled Tucanchoo shows no ill effects from a programme that his seen him clock up plenty of miles in recent months.

Following wins at Warwick Farm, Sandown and Randwick, the 6yo son of Pentire narrowly missed his first stakes success when edged out by Index Linked (IRE) in the Group III Tatt's Club Cup at Eagle farm at his most recent start.

Back home to Rosehill, the Hawkes Racing trainee took just seven days to right that.

Under a patient ride by Christian Reith, Tucanchoo showed a superior turn of foot to defeat Junoob (GB) (Haafhd) in Saturday's Listed ATC Winter Cup (2400m) by one and a quarter lengths.

Foreign Prince (High Chaparral) plodded into third a further three lengths back. (photo Steve Hart).

"No one wanted to go forward early," Hawkes Racing representative Tania Rouse said.

"Christian just rode his own race, got the horse to relax and that told in the end when he hit the line strongly."

A $140,000 purchase from the Rich Hill Stud draft at the 2011 NZ Bloodstock Premier Yearling sale, Tucanchoo advances his overall record to 7 wins, 2 seconds and 2 thirds from 20 starts for earnings of $267,445.

A half-brother to nine winners, Tucanchoo is the tenth foal of the Cox's Ridge mare Special Jade (USA) whose dam Statistic ( Mr Prospector) is a sister to Group 1 winner and former shuttler Jade Robbery from the family of Nureyev and Sadler's Wells.

Now pensioned, Special Jade's final foal is a yearling colt by Jimmy Choux.

Tucanchoo becomes the 46^th stakes-winner for Rich Hill Stud's foundation stallion Pentire (GB).

The sire of the reigning Melbourne Cup hero Prince of Penzance, the 24yo son of Be My Guest lines up for his 20^th season at Rich Hill this spring where he will cover a restricted book at $10,000 + GST.