By Mike Dillon
As silly as it sounds Noel Eales believes Ed is a better horse as a 9-year-old.
Ed has two Wellington Cups at home, but Eales feels the unsound veteran is stronger now as he puts him on a flight to Australia tonight for Saturday's $A800,000 Sydney Cup.
"He finished fifth in the Sydney Cup under Lance O'Sullivan in 1997 and should have been in the first three - he was in trouble three times in the running.
"He's more muscled up now," said Eales after Ed lumped 58kg and came from well back to win at Ellerslie yesterday.
In taking Ed to Sydney, Eales is keeping faith with the wishes of the horse's owner, the late Bert Crooks, who died a few months ago, but it is not all sentiment.
Eales rarely gets excited, but he has been excited about Ed's lead-up form, despite how ordinary it looks on paper and fancies his chances of getting some of the Sydney Cup money.
There was nothing engaged yesterday even remotely in the class of Tie The Knot and Our Unicorn, who Ed will have to face on Saturday, but the old bloke looks sensational in condition and is a natural 3200m horse.
Jim Cassidy has been engaged for the Cup and Eales is hoping the Randwick track is better than the heavy conditions experienced there yesterday.
"Randwick dries quickly and he can handle a bit of rain around, but I wouldn't want a heavy track."
Tendon problems have badly hampered Ed's career, but Eales says the legs are better than at any previous stage.
But Eales' confidence would not have received much of a boost just hours after Ed's win when Tie The Knot thrashed a handy field at Randwick.
The Sydney Cup favourite was never out of second gear even carrying a hefty 60kg and looks ready to repeat last year's Cup success.
Horse Racing: Veteran deserves final shot at Cup
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