AFTER a five year wait Hawkesbury duo Lisa Cohen and Oldrich Jiricka have their hands back on the Bathurst Cup (1,800 metres).
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Just like their runner Spence, who won the Cup at $13 odds in 2011, Cohen and Jiricka's Set Piece ($8) yesterday overcame more fancied contenders to take the prize yesterday at Tyers Park.
The four-year-old gelding did it in dominant fashion, to boot.
Set Piece was five lengths clear of the next best runner Big On Fame ($26) with a further half length back to Any Blinkin' Day ($6), trained at Dubbo by Clint Lundholm.
Trainer Jiricka said that anything other than a win would have been considered a very unsatisfying result.
"We were quite confident. We won the race five years ago with Spence, his half-brother, and this is a better horse," he said.
"After his last run at Wyong he was dropping seven and a half kilos for this race. Blaike [McDougall] rode him exactly the way we asked him to, to let them chase from the 600m. He did and it was a pretty easy win.
"He's a bad traveller but for some reason today he travelled really well. Everything went the right way. I was still nervous because I expected him to win and would be disappointed if he didn't."
From the start Lancelot got out to the lead, Set Piece tucked in behind the leader and Off The Rails slid into third for former Bathurst trainer Bjorn Baker.
As the field made its way across the back of the track Set Piece moved up along the rails to take control of the race, joined on his outside by Big On Fame.
The leading duo opened up a two length lead coming into the final turn but Cohen and Jiricka's grey moved clear of Big On Fame on the straight.
The field had given up a couple of lengths to Set Piece as the track straightened for home but that gap would only grow wider.
Set Piece recorded his fourth win at his 12th start.
"He's been really good for us. He's bred to stay but so far he's been winning over middle distance, 13 to 1600 metres, and this was the first time he went up over the mile.
"This preparation we set him up to get over the ground. He's got good things coming for him. Spence would run 2400m so we expect that from him too."
It was a disappointing race for defending champion and Dubbo hopeful Cardiff Prince who finished ninth while $3.30 favourite Largo Da Barra was only one spot better.