In his biggest test to date, Incentivise put a class field of stayers to the sword in Saturday’s $200,000 Group III Tattersall’s Cup (2400m) at Eagle Farm.
The 4yo son of Shamus Award has been beating up horses of questionable quality at his last five starts, but the result was the same when taking on stakes company for the first time.
Given a confident ride by Anthony Allen, Incentivise hit the front rounding the home turn. Keeping up a relentless gallop, the Steve Tregea-trained gelding won by a widening twelve lengths over the 2020 Group 1 ATC Metropolitan Handicap winner Mirage Dancer (GB) (Frankel) with Traduce (Savabeel) a long-head back in third.
It was a last minute decision to back -up Incentivise in the Tattersall’s Cup following last week’s nine and a half lengths romp at Ipswich.
Tregea said that Incentivise had done so well he had put on weight.
“For a horse that you would not have given two bob for twelve months ago, I do not know what to say,” Tregea said.
“He has just kept improving. He looked like a stayer, and that is what he is.
“He just keeps surprising. He did better this week than the week before. He put a couple of kilos on.
“I don’t know where he ends up in Melbourne. We all dream about the cups, but plenty of things can go wrong before then.”
Incentivise will now head for a spell before Peter Moody takes over the training following the purchase of 50 per cent in him by Brae Sokolski and Ozzie Kheir.
After being beaten out of a place at his first three starts, Incentivise has won six on the bounce by mind-boggling margins while banking $279,100.
Bred by his trainer, Incentivise becomes the fourth stakes-winner for the stakes-placed Iglesia mare Miss Argyle.
He is a half-brother to the Group III ARC Concorde Handicap winner and Waikato Stud-based stallion Ardrossan (Redoute’s Choice) and Listed winners Cheyenne Warrior (Not A Single Doubt) and Bergerac (Drumbeats).
A sister to dual Listed winner Diamondsondinside, Miss Argyle (Iglesia), died in September last year. Her final live foal is an unraced 3yo Golden Archer gelding named Argyle Lane.
Bhima Stud will consign Ra Ra Epic, a 3-time winning sister to Bergerac and half to Incentivise, Ardrossan and Cheyenne Warrior to the Inglis Great Southern Broodmare Sale, carrying a positive test to Yes Yes Yes. (lot 448)
Incentivise becomes the 15th stakes-winner for Shamus Award who has enjoyed a break-out season.
The dual Group 1 winning son of Snitzel stands at Rosemount Stud in 2021 at a fee of $33,000.
