Tulloch Lodge pair huge chance in Group 3 Summer Cup
ATC Cup winner Major Beel and runner-up Shangri La Spring face off on Boxing Day
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Major Beel (Rachel King) landing the spoils in the Listed ATC Cup (2,000m) at Rosehill Gardens on Nov 29.
PHOTO: SKY RACING WORLD
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SYDNEY – One is a stable stalwart, and the other is a horse on the rise.
While the pair might present with very different profiles, co-trainer Adrian Bott is having trouble splitting Major Beel and Shangri La Spring ahead of their clash in the A$250,000 (S$215,000) Group 3 Yulong Summer Cup (2,000m) at Randwick on Dec 26.
The 2023 Group 1 Australian Derby (2,400m) winner Major Beel had the measure of his stablemate when relegating Shangri La Spring to second in the Listed Australian Turf Club (ATC) Cup (2,000m) at his last start on Nov 29.
Both stablemates at Tulloch Lodge – famous racing stables run by trainers Gai Waterhouse and Bott – have stepped out for a 1,250m open trial at Kensington on Dec 18 when Shangri La Spring won it by 3¼ lengths from Major Beel in second.
Bott is mindfully keeping both on fresh legs ahead of their upcoming clash in the Summer Cup.
“They both came through the ATC Cup last start, and they’ve had a bit of time since then,” he said.
“We have tried to follow a similar formula for them going into this race.
“They’ve had a nice tick over trial, and both looked in good shape.
“There was plenty of merit to both their runs on the day, and it’s going to be hard to split them again.”
A six-year-old son by Savabeel, Major Beel has posted two wins since his Derby triumph, but he has contested some strong races along the way, including the 7 Stakes (1,600m) on Sept 21, 2024 which he finished fifth, beaten just over a length by the Chris Waller-trained Fangirl.
His ATC Cup victory was his first in 14 months after the City Tattersalls Patrick Campion (1,600m) at Randwick on Sept 7, 2024.
Bott said the gelding needed the right set-up and conditions but getting him back in the winner’s stall had been worth the wait.
“Very satisfying. He has obviously been a great horse to us,” he said.
“Even though he’d been running well, he lacked a bit of consistency, or it had been hard to find the right conditions for him.
“Things worked out well for him last start and it’s a nice programme to get both of them through to Magic Millions, potentially, off the back of it.
“Both look to have done fantastic. Conditions on the day, the draw and factors in running may be what splits them ultimately.”
Both graduates of the Gold Coast Yearling Sale will be eligible to contest in the feature races at the 2026 TAB Magic Millions Race day on the Gold Coast on Jan 17, 2026.
A field of 11 will contest the Summer Cup, with the 61kg topweight being The Ingham (1,600m) runner-up Estadio Mestalla.
Major Beel will be ridden by Rachel King again after his ATC Cup victory and has drawn outside in gate 10.
Shangri La Spring will have Regan Bayliss in the irons and the pair jump from barrier 2.
The Castelvecchio four-year-old is the current market favourite at 14-5, with Estadio Mestalla the second pick at 4-1. Major Beel is the third favourite at 11-2. SKY RACING WORLD
