Enviable Position for Per Incanto
Todays announcement by John O’Shea that they are preparing the star sprinter Lost And Running (Per Incanto – Dreamlife by Danroad) to run for them in the Australian $15 million TAB Everest, potentially gives Per Incanto an opportunity to have multiple runners in the world's richest sprint, an unheard-of situation for a New Zealand based sire.
Fourth behind the star trio of Nature Strip, Masked Crusader and Eduardo in last year's Everest, the lightly raced Lost And Running, who recently returned to the John O'Shea stable after a good break, is expected to be at his absolute physical peak for this year's event.
With a number of other slot holders still to confirm their runners, the Per Incanto mares Roch ‘N’ Horse and Belluci Babe are realistic candidates given both performed so well in the big Australian Group 1 sprints this autumn.
Roch ‘N’ Horse, winner of the Group 1 Newmarket handicap in an extraordinary performance, has thrived during her spell, putting on 50kg. With slot holders bound to have been impressed by the subsequent Group 1 form from horses that finished behind her in the Newmarket, Mike Moroney’s Flemington operation are geared to having the mare firing on all cylinders early in her spring campaign to give her every chance of being acquired for the Everest.
Group 3 winner and multiple group placed Belluci Babe may not have quite scaled the Group 1 heights of Roch ‘N’ Horse but she showed with close fourth placings in the Group 1 TJ Smith and Galaxy that she is right up there with the best Sydney trained sprinters. Something of a veteran compared to the other Per Incanto pair, with 21 starts, Belluci Babe's versatility, particularly her ability to handle all track conditions, will appeal to a lot of slot holders.
Per Incanto’s rise to prominence, especially in Hong Kong (where he is Champion Sire for winners for the second season running) and Australia has been one of the real talking points of the Australasian breeding industry over the last few years. While exceeding his Australian prizemoney earnings for the current season of Australian $5.765 million won't be an easy feat, Per Incanto has shown an affinity throughout his career to continually keep raising the bar. With the potential for multiple runners in the Everest on 15 October, and genuine contenders to boot, one would be game to bet against it.
