By Ray Hickson
There’s no denying the wet track credentials of Monsieur Sisu but his trainer Paul Cave admits to being a little surprised the gelding is so comfortable when it comes to heavy ground.
The four-year-old has recorded all three of his career wins on heavy tracks, at Canterbury and Warwick Farm, and finished in the placings at Randwick in his other two attempts.
For the third successive time this preparation Monsieur Sisu tackles the Randwick mile and he’s attracted good support at $3.70 on Thursday with TAB in the Nathan’s Famous Handicap (1600m).
“He’s a big striding horse, one wouldn’t think he’d like the wet,’’ Cave said.
“I don’t think he goes quicker in it, he just runs the same sort of race. If you’re up on the pace it’s harder to run you down on a wet track.’’
In his three wins Monsieur Sisu has settled no further back than third and Cave is hoping jockey Kathy O’Hara can make good use of barrier two and control her own destiny.
But if he is to lead Cave says it’s crucial that it’s the horse making that decision.
Monsieur Sisu runs third at Randwick on June 22
“The whole thing with leading is it’s got be natural, if you’re driving their ears off to find the lead you’ll get a different result,’’ he said.
“I’d like him to be very handy. He got back a little bit the other day, a little further than he normally would but he finished off well.
“He’s a horse that’s better off in this class, he’s no world beater but he’s a very consistent horse.
“He’s a lot stronger this time in and I’m hoping to get another couple of preps out of him in the winter.’’
Wet track statistics aside, if Monsieur Sisu is to win at Randwick on Saturday he’d follow a pattern that’s seen him taste victory at his fourth run back from a spell for the third consecutive preparation.
Just prior to Christmas he scored fourth-up at a mile at Warwick Farm and last winter he clung on to win over 1900m at Canterbury.
It’s worth noting that the gelding is a dual acceptor, he’s fourth emergency in the JHB Syndications Handicap (1800m).
Cave said it’s his intention to run in the 1600m event but if Randwick happened to come up a heavy 10 on race morning, and there were enough scratchings, he’d consider the longer race with 5kg less.
“I put him in the 1800m in case the track was going to be an utter bog, I thought it’d be good to run with a lesser weight but it doesn’t look like it will be that way,’’ he said.
All the fields, form and replays for Saturday's Randwick meeting