A thrilling start to Golden Slipper Day at Rosehill with three runners locked together in the Group III Kia N E Manion Cup (2400).
In a driving finish, Kerrin McEvoy on the Chris Waller-trained Gleneagles gelding Timour (FR) edged out the fast-finishing Bull Point gelding Raging Ball by a short-half-head with the brave topweight Sir Lucan (Camelot), a nose back in third.
He placed for the first time as a short-priced favourite at start four over 2500m at Flemington at his most recent start.
Timour (FR) has campaigned exclusively in Victoria since arriving from the stables of Andre Fabre in France.
Coincidently the 2020 Manion Cup was the lone stakes win in Australia for Timour's half-brother Young Rascal (Intello).
Owned by OTI Racing, Timour (FR) won one of 12 starts in France and placed three times at stakes level, including third in the Group II Prix Niel at Longchamp.
"He has gradually been making progress since he's been in Australia, and I think the writing was on the wall at Flemington two starts back," Waller said
"Last start " was a touch plain, but today he was really strong all the way to the line. It's good to see him put one on the board."
"Strong enough to think he's a genuine Sydney Cup chance. We decided to bring him up here, give him a run and set our sights on the Sydney Cup."
"OTI spread their horses around, and they give young trainers a chance, and that's how I got my opportunity to train for Mr Henderson and his team and ever since, he has always had one or two with me.
"He knows the right horses to bring. This horse raced at Royal Ascot when Nature Strip was up there over 4000m, so we know a bit about the horse, and we knew he was coming for a long time."
By Galileo's The Two Thousand Guineas hero Gleneagles, Timour is out of the smart racemare Rock My Soul (Clodovil), a 3-time stakes winner in Germany and Group III-placed in France.
Timour is the 25th stakes-winner for Gleneagles who stands at Coolmore Stud Ireland at €17,500
