Two years after taking out the Group 1 Queensland Derby (2400m) at Eagle Farm, the Kiwi-bred Kukeracha returned to the same Eagle Farm meeting on Saturday and landed another big prize over the same course and distance.
The Chris Waller-trained five-year-old prevailed in a tight finish to the Group 3 Premier's Cup (2400m), taking his career earnings past $1 million from a 33-start career that has produced five wins and nine placings.
Heading into Saturday's race on the back of a strong-finishing third in the Listed Wagga Wagga Gold Cup (2000m) on May 5, Kukeracha relished the extra 400m of Saturday's race.
Jockey James McDonald drove him up alongside the front-running Serpentine in the home straight, and they were soon joined by the strong-finishing Kalapour on their outside.
2023 Group 3 Premier's Cup – Kukeracha
Kukeracha dug the deepest of the trio, gradually gaining the upper hand over Serpentine and edging out the former Group 1 Epsom Derby (2400m) winner to score by a short half-head.
“He likes Eagle Farm, and he's a fighter too,” McDonald said. “When that one joined him on the outside (Kalapour), it felt like he was always going to get there. Even though it was a short margin, he's a tough horse.”
Kukeracha is now unbeaten in two starts over 2400m at Eagle Farm, and he has enjoyed further Queensland successes with a win in last year's Listed Tails Stakes (1640m) at Doomben, along with placings in last year's Group 2 Hollindale Stakes (1800m) and the 2021 running of the Group 3 Rough Habit Plate (2000m).
“He was probably the omen bet, being a Derby winner a couple of years back,” Waller said.
“He found form up here last year as well, so he certainly loves it here. It was a great ride from James, and just a nice, sentimental win.”
Kukeracha was bred by former Waikato Stud vet Dr Chris Phillips and was offered in the Matamata nursery's draft at Karaka in 2019. He was purchased for $130,000 by bloodstock agent Guy Mulcaster on behalf of prominent owner Neville Morgan.
Kukeracha is by Night Of Thunder out of the A.P. Indy mare Portrait Of A Lady.