Trainer Chris Waller has revealed that imported stayer Permit could be retired after he returned to winning form in the 2015 Manion Cup at Rosehill Gardens this afternoon.
Permit started his 2015 Sydney Autumn Racing Carnival campaign with disappointing performances in the Listed Parramatta Cup (1900m) at Rosehill Gardens on February 21 and the Listed Canberra Cup (2000m) on March 8, but he produced a strong staying performance to win the Manion Cup for the second time in his racing career.
Trainer Chris Waller was delighted to see Permit record another race win as an eight-year-old in the Manion Cup and he said that the initial plans were to retire the Dansili gelding at the conclusion of the Group 3 event, but is now considering giving the veteran stayer an opportunity in the Group 2 Chairman’s Handicap (2600m) at Royal Randwick on April 4
“He has been a great horse for the stable and today was going to be his last race,” Waller said.
“We are yet to decide whether he runs on and it will be discussed on Monday when the dust has settled.
“He has been a terrific horse to us and he is a stable pet.
“There has been talk that he will be the stable pony when he retires, so it won’t be the last that we see of him.
“Maybe he has earnt another down in the weights in a race like the Chairman’s.
“He needs a good track and we have seen two Permit’s, but most of the second Permit have been when he gets on a wet track and as he has gotten older he has generally been a 2400 metre horse.”
Rowen Craigie has been a loyal owner of Permit since he joined the Chris Waller stable in November of 2011 and he was delighted to see the veteran stayer record the ninth win of his racing career.
Craigie confirmed that the initial plan was to retire Permit after the Manion Cup, but he indicated that he may be keen to keep racing the popular galloper.
“We thought that this might be his last run because he hasn’t been running well, but he has redeemed himself and I guess we keep racing him,” Craigie said.
“Over the last four years other owners dropped out because they got sick of his stubbornness, but I stuck with him and I have been rewarded today.”
Permit has been included in the first acceptances for the Group 1 Sydney Cup (3200m) that will be held at Royal Randwick on April 11, but at this stage he is unlikely to contest the $2 million event.
Source: horseracing.com.au
