Lion’s Roar (NZ) Shows Class in Wyong Cup

Syndicators Champion Thoroughbreds have reaped huge rewards from their $65,000 purchase of Lion’s Roar (NZ) (Contributer) at Karaka 2019, and he put them in the winners’ circle again after Friday’s A$250,000 Listed Wyong Leagues Group Wyong Cup (2100m).

The Wyong feature was the sixth win of a 36-race career for Lion’s Roar, who has banked more than A$2.3m for his Champion Thoroughbreds syndicate.

The winner of the Group One Randwick Guineas (1600m) as a three-year-old in 2021, Lion’s Roar later endured a frustrating win drought plagued by injuries and bad luck. But he has turned things around in the last 12 months with wins in the Group Three Summer Cup (2000m) and the Wyong Cup, plus placings in the Group Two The Ingham (1600m), the Listed Scone Cup (1600m) and the Listed Rowley Mile (1600m).

Lion’s Roar had to carry a 59-kilogram topweight on Friday but nevertheless showed his superiority. After tracking the leader through the early stages of the race, he took the lead in the straight and went on to win by half a length.

“The leader started to up the tempo from the 1000, which I didn't really want, but I always felt he had control of the race,” jockey Jason Collett said. “It was a really good win.”

Lion’s Roar is trained by John O’Shea in partnership with Tom Charlton.

“This is really rewarding for the team,” O'Shea said. “We had a plan in place to go to the Rowley Mile (on August 22) and then here. He took a massive step forward after Hawkesbury and I didn't think he was too badly in at the weights.

“He has been a tremendous horse for Champion Thoroughbreds and the stable, and with this win he makes his way into The Big Dance (1600m) on Melbourne Cup Day.”

The Big Dance carries a purse of A$3m and will be run at Randwick on November 5.