Racing: Cyclades finally finds right medicine

By MIKE DILLON


If Cyclades has arthritis, he races better feeling the pain than not feeling it.

Confused?

Cyclades has only just finished a year completely out of the form which saw him win the Wellington Cup in January last year as one of our best ultimate distance stayers.

Trainer Cydne Evans puts the slump down to anti-arthritic medication veterinarians recommended she put Cyclades on.

She has now taken the 8-year-old veteran off the medication and Cyclades looms as a real threat in Thursday's $350,000 Lion Red Auckland Cup.

Evans says she is starting to believe the medication was responsible for Cyclades nearly collapsing after finishing unplaced in the Saab in Melbourne in November last year when trying to get into the Melbourne Cup field.

"He started taking it just before that race and I'm really starting to wonder whether there isn't a link here."

Cyclades is in much better shape than his 877020 formline suggests.

"The problem is that we know now that the medication affected him so much that we had to knock off his preparation so many times that he was never able to get properly fit," said Evans.

Cyclades' worst bout was when he had to be scratched from a group three race at Rotorua in October.

"He couldn't move for a day and a half," said Evans.

Soon after, Evans realised the arthritis compound was the problem - though vets assumed it was an allergy - and took her star off it.

"I wasn't that keen to put him on it in the first place.

"The vets said that at his age he should be on it on a permanent basis."

The horse's form turnaround was quite dramatic.

Although beaten, Cyclades ran his best race in a long time when second to Tunzi under a crushing 60.5kg at Avondale on December 6.

Rider Grant Cooksley was adamant Cyclades would have won that race instead of being narrowly beaten if he hadn't been held up behind horses when approaching the home turn.

Cooksley was required for Bel Air in the $100,000 New Zealand Herald Queen Elizabeth at Ellerslie on Boxing Day and Lee Rutherford landed the ride.

The pair finished only 11th, but it was a much better effort than it initially looked.

The mid-race tempo was so slow as to be ridiculous and Cyclades, a dour staying type, was left flat-footed when the sprint came on late.

Cooksley described the pace of the race as "disgusting" and was in trouble most of the contest trying to settle down the fiercely-pulling Bel Air.

"They may as well have put the barriers up at the 600m and started the race from there," said Cooksley afterwards.

Rutherford said she took the Queen Elizabeth ride on the understanding she also rode Cyclades in the Auckland Cup and is disappointed Cooksley is back in the saddle on Thursday.

Evans believes Cooksley suits Cyclades.

"At Avondale it was the first time in a long time that he settled in running. He'd been pulling his head off in races.

"There is certainly nothing against Lee - he pulled hard the other day, but against that sort of pace he'd have probably pulled anyway.

"Grant was available so it was felt he should ride him."

The step up to 3200m is exactly what Cyclades is looking for.

The pace is certainly going to be better than in the Queen Elizabeth and in an even field getting to the line strongly is going to win the race.

That is exactly what Cyclades excels at.

Cyclades should already have an Auckland Cup win to his credit - Australian stayer Maguire grabbed him late in last year's Cup and he looked unlucky in running.

Those who rate him a chance won't have to invest much for a thrill either, with Cyclades at $20 with the TAB last night, the same price as Leica Guv, Asgoodas and Branson.

Queen Elizabeth Handicap winner Upsetthym is the $5.50 favourite ahead of Sunray, who is still at $7 even after costing punter plenty with his recent failures, while Galway Lass and Governess are paying $8.

Auckland Cup

* Cyclades is off anti-arthritic medication.

* The form turnaround is noticeable.

* Cyclades' Queen Elizabeth effort was better than it looked.

* Grant Cooksley is reunited with Cyclades for the Cup.