Young Werther heads west for 2025 Perth Cup chance

Young Werther will tick off another racing jurisdiction when he contests Wednesday’s $1 million Perth Cup and trainer Danny O’Brien sees no reason why he won’t be a force in the 2400-metre Group 2 at Ascot.

Western Australia will become the fourth state the seven-year-old has competed in, having placed in Group 1 Derbies in Melbourne and Sydney while also having raced with distinction in Queensland over multiple seasons.

“He’s always run well when he’s travelled,” O’Brien said.

“He ran second in the AJC Derby, he ran second up there in Queensland in the Tatt’s Cup to Vow And Declare and obviously the third horse in that race (Knight’s Choice) was the horse that won the Melbourne Cup.

“So, he’s travelled well and run well and we’re hoping he can run well in Perth.

“He travelled over on Christmas Eve, he’s staying at Lindsey Smith’s farm just out of Perth, and he’s in good shape.”

The son of Tavistock, who drew barrier six, occupies a place on the $7 line, alongside Epsom Derby winner Serpentine, in a competitive Perth Cup market headed by Kalgoorlie gelding Sentimental Hero with last-start winners Diamond Scene and In Good Order also prominent.

Young Werther headed to Perth off a second-last placing at Caulfield on December 14, but that was in a 1500m race O’Brien used to keep him up to the mark as his only start since finishing down the track in the Caulfield Cup (2400m) on October 19.

“He began the spring really well, he won a nice there at Caulfield beating Duke De Sessa and then he hit two wet tracks in the Turnbull (Stakes) and Caulfield Cup,” O’Brien said.

“The other day he was obviously unsuited but he was just there to get a fitness top-up and hit the line well.

“We just had to get that one run into him, we thought it was probably too long a break to go straight to a mile-and-a-half but he had a nice blow out on the Heath track, which is a lovely surface, and he pulled up well.”