Australia: Wyong Cup gives Lion's Roar another chance to qualify for the Big Dance

When the veteran gelding Lion’s Roar finished a close third in the Scone Cup in Australia in June, he narrowly missed a chance to join the list of qualifiers for the $2.01 million Big Dance Stakes in November.

Lion’s Roar has another chance to qualify for the Big Dance when he starts in Thursday’s $167,800 Wyong Cup at 1 5/16 miles at Wyong Racecourse.

The first two finishers of 33 races at tracks throughout the state of New South Wales are eligible for the Big Dance Stakes at a mile, which will be held at Royal Randwick Racecourse on Nov. 5.

The Big Dance is limited to 20 starters, making a win in a qualifying race even more important. The field is determined by handicap ratings.

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Lion’s Roar, a winner of 5 of 35 starts, is the co-highweight at 131 pounds in the 11-runner Wyong Cup, along with Sir Lucan.

Of the two, Lion’s Roar was held in higher regard in early betting as of Wednesday. Lion’s Roar was 7-2, while Sir Lucan was 13-1. Etna Rosso, a winner of two of his last three starts, was the 2-1 favorite.

Lion’s Roar was second by slightly more than a half-length in the listed Rowley Mile at Hawkesbury Racecourse on Aug. 22 in his last start, losing to Cepheus, who was second in the 2023 Big Dance Stakes.

Trained by John O’Shea and Tom Charlton, Lion’s Roar is winless in five starts since the Group 3 Summer Cup at 1 1/4 miles at Randwick last December.

Etna Rosso is one of three starters in the field trained by Chris Waller, who leads Australia’s trainers in earnings for the current season, which began on Aug. 1. Waller has been a perennial leader in that category.

Etna Rosso, who carries just 119 pounds, won a handicap at a mile at Rosehill Gardens on Aug. 17 by closing from well off the pace. Etna Rosso has won 3 of 10 starts.

Waller also runs Medatsu (5-1 in early betting) and Manzoice (6-1).

Medatsu won consecutive starts in August in handicap races and faces a class test in the Wyong Cup. Medatsu has won at 1 1/4 miles.

Manzoice was second by 1 1/2 lengths in a handicap at 1 1/8 miles at Randwick on Aug. 10, his first start since a 14th-place finish in a field of 16 in the Group 1 Sydney Cup at Randwick in April. Manzoice lugged to the inside in the stretch of the Aug. 10 race, leading to a troubled trip.

Manzoice was second in the Group 3 Manion Cup at 1 1/2 miles at Randwick in March, and should have no difficulty with the distance of the Wyong Cup.

The Wyong Cup is part of an eight-race program that begins at 10:50 p.m. Eastern or 7:50 p.m. Pacific. Wagering is available through DRFBets.com.

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