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By Ray Hickson

A leap of faith on a filly with a maiden win on a heavy track at The Curragh in late 2023 is the unlikely background to commanding Sydney Cup favourite Alalcance.

Trainer Adrian Bott (Pic: Grant Guy)

It was an almost $500,000 leap of faith. Johnny McKeever, who sourced multiple stakes winner Military Mission for Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott, saw potential in another product of Mastercraftsman and secured her for 240,000 guineas at the Tattersall’s December Mare Sale.

Bott said when you purchase any horse you are taking that leap but always felt Alalcance had the makings of a handy stayer.

He just didn’t expect handy to include three straight stakes wins and lead to top billing in the Group 1 $2 million Schweppes Sydney Cup (3200m).

“There was obviously good staying potential there but I didn’t think she’d be as progressive as quickly as she has been,’’ Bott said.

“When she came out she started in a Warwick Farm midweek, she won well on that occasion and she’s progressed sharply in every single run in Australia.

“She’s a deserving favourite, two miles is a different pain barrier and there are others who are a bit more seasoned at the trip so she’ll have to go to a new level and venture in to new ground.

“She’s had the right lead up, the right preparation, she’s got the pedigree to do it and hopefully we can unlock more staying potential going forward.”

Alalcance, $2.50 with TAB on Wednesday, kicked off this campaign with a fighting win in the Randwick City Stakes but since stepping up in distance she’s been dominant with runaway wins in the Manion Cup and last week’s Chairman’s Quality.

Such has been her rise the five-year-old has beaten the handicapper with just 52kg in the Sydney Cup, which includes a penalty of 2kg for the Manion Cup win which only assists jockey Tim Clark in partnering the mare.

If she’s able to win the Sydney Cup she’ll have completed the black type set – Listed, Group 3, Group 2 and Group 1 – in successive races.

Bott said what Alalcance has shown, particularly this preparation, is amazing reserves of stamina.

“I think she can sustain that speed and gallop she’s got,’’ he said.

“It probably takes her a while to get to that speed and it’s not a sharp acceleration to get there but to her advantage is it’s a good tempo she can hold and sustain longer than most.

“She can get them under pressure chasing throughout and she can quicken again, that’s what we’ve seen in the last couple of runs. Hopefully she can do that over the two miles.

“I think all the right indications are there, obviously you do like to see them prove themselves first over the distance so it’s going to be new territory for her. Everything she’s shown to date gives us a positive indication she will.”

Importantly, Bott said Alalcance has come through her easy Chairman’s Quality win over the 2600m last weekend.

He said if there is a chink in her armour it’s her tendency to be a shade slowly away, which could easily have caused bother for her last week, and the wider draw will offset that negative.

“She’s drawn low at both her last two starts and she’s been a little slow into stride and potentially could have got herself in a tricky position,’’ he said.

“Tim will be able to ride his own race, that’s very much what we’ll look to do, she’s versatile and there’s a couple of different ways she can be ridden so that draw gives us options.

“She came through it really well, it’s a nice grounding she needed to get the miles in her legs for Saturday.

“She toughed it out really well, was strong through the line and pulled up great. Each time we’ve seen her go around we’ve seen her pull up better on each occasion I believe.”

Waterhouse and Bott are keeping Vauban away from two mile tests for the time being so he’ll take his place in the Group 1 $5 million Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2000m).

The recent addition to Tulloch Lodge backed up his stable debut win with a game third in the Group 1 Tancred Stakes (2400m) last Tuesday and Bott said now’s not the time to be stretching him out in distance and warned he shouldn’t be underestimated.

Alalcance wins the Chairman's Quality

“We wanted to keep him at that distance and keep the speed in his legs at this stage of his career,’’ he said.

“We will step out to two miles at some point, most likely in the spring. I think it’s the right race to be in, the 2000m at Randwick is a strong 2000m race. Coming back from 2400m at Rosehill doesn’t necessarily hold too much concern.”

As with Alalcance, Bott isn’t bothered by Vauban drawing away from the fence on Saturday.

“We did get a bit strung up and caught up at some crucial stages in the Tancred so that will help him with that, relative to the type of horses drawn around him,’’ he said.

“We can make the run when we need to, particularly coming back in trip.”

All the fields, form and replays for Day 2 of The Star Championships at Randwick