KEY POINTS:
Lance O'Sullivan isn't as disappointed might be expected with the effort of Pentane in the group one A$2.2 million ($2.5 million) The BMW at Rosehill in Sydney on Saturday.
Pentane, preparing for the 3200m Sydney Cup on April 14, was outpaced at the back of the field throughout.
He was last in running for most of the race and beat only Desert War and Terenaba home.
"They simply ran him off his feet," said O'Sullivan yesterday. "They ran the 2400m in 2.26, which is only four seconds off the world record."
Sydney jockey Danny Beasley told O'Sullivan Pentane is looking for the extra distance of the Sydney Cup.
"He said the horse felt like he was ready to run, not two miles (3200m), but two and a half miles."
Blutigeroo stepped out of the shadow of his better known stablemate El Segundo courtesy of a brilliant rails-hugging ride by Damien Oliver to snatch victory.
Weight-for-age star Desert War, having just his second start over the 2400m journey, tired after leading to finish fourth.
But the moment belonged to the Colin Little-trained Blutigeroo whose connections paid a late entry fee of A$55,000 to secure him a start.
They were hoping he could finish in the first half of the field with A$50,000 prizemoney paid for horses finishing sixth to 10th, but got more than they bargained for with the A$1.23 million first prizemoney cheque.
"I'm a bit blown away really, I've got to go over and check it's my horse," a stunned Little said.
"I must admit, I didn't think he could win, we were hoping he could run a place but he just keeps improving. You just never know with horses.
"It was a great ride by Ollie, he never went around one horse."
Oliver won the Hobart Cup on Blutigeroo two starts ago before Little took him back to Melbourne and freshened him up for the Australian Cup in which he was a slashing fifth.
Like Little, Oliver said he was taken aback by the improvement the gelding had made.
"I wouldn't have thought he'd do this but he's come a long way this horse," Oliver said.
"The first time I ever sat on his back he worked better than El Segundo, believe it or not."
Little was undecided whether Blutigeroo would press on to the Sydney Cup, a race in which he has 53kg, six less than he carried under the weight-for-age conditions on Saturday.
"I'll think about it. He finished off really well but I'm a bit worried about the prep he's had," he said.
"There is a bit of doubt there because he's never been further than this trip in his life."
Trainer John Hawkes' foreman Peter Snowden said runner-up Railings would not go to the Sydney Cup after showing with his unplaced run in the Melbourne Cup last spring that he couldn't run 3200m.
Desert War's trainer Gai Waterhouse and jockey Hugh Bowman both said the star galloper tried hard and he will drop back to the 2000m of the Queen Elizabeth Stakes next start.
"He had a few things against him. The wind coming up 10 minutes before the race didn't help," Waterhouse said.
"You can't say he ran out the distance because he got beaten but he was courageous in defeat."
- AAP
