Niwot relished the drop back to handicap conditions when running to his career peak Timeform figure in Saturday's Group 1 Sydney Cup (3200m) at Randwick.
Photo by Racing and Sports
The Team Hawkes-trained galloper had put in a number of encouraging displays prior to the Sydney Cup against weight for age company having just missed out on the placings in both The BMW and Ranvet Stakes.
Each of those two efforts yielded the seven-year-old a career peak Timeform figure of 120, four pounds higher than his previous master rating of 116 achieved when winning the Group 3 Lexus Stakes (2600m) at Flemington during the spring carnival.
On the back of his latest performances, Niwot looked well suited under Handicap conditions and rising to the 3200m.
The favourite did not disappoint, settling midfield on the fence prior to peeling second deepest around the turn before striking the front 150m and subsequently winning the Group 1 Sydney Cup by a long neck.
2007 Melbourne Cup winner Efficient ran impressive figures for second while Once Were Wild bounced back to form with a determined third.
Like the BMW and Ranvet Stakes, Niwot again ran to a figure of 120 in Saturday's Group 1 Sydney Cup.
His performance rates well above the previous five year winning average of the event which stands at 116 with the highest rated winners in that time Jessicabeel (2010, 117) and No Wine No Song (2008, 117).
Making the race favourite work hard for the win was veteran galloper Efficient who ran to his previous career best Timeform figure which was recorded when claiming the 2009 Turnbull Stakes (2000m) at Flemington.
The Lloyd Williams-owned eight-year-old looked to have plenty against him going into the Sydney Cup having not raced since running fifth in the Australian Cup (2000m) back on March 10.
A case could be made that Efficient was well weighted for the event with the proven weight for age performer assigned 58kg.
This argument was further bolstered when the 2007 Melbourne Cup winner rattled home along the inside after settling worse than midfield.
The last topweight to figure in the finish of a Sydney Cup was Mummify when he placed in the 2004 renewal behind Makybe Diva carrying 57.5kg.
Efficient's gallant second was rated at 125 which is the highest figure recorded in a Sydney Cup since Tie The Knot recorded a five length success when the Guy Walter-trained galloper won the 1999 running.
Tie The Knot's dominant display as an odds on favourite was assessed at 127.
A second tilt at Melbourne Cup success is expected for Niwot this upcoming spring with the Galileo gelding having finished eighth in last years renewal.
Niwot would have to buck the trend of latest Sydney Cup winners with only two during the past 10 years going on to contest the Melbourne Cup in the following spring.
2004 Melbourne Cup winner Makybe Diva claimed the rare double that year while 2009 Sydney Cup winner Ista Kareem was a well beaten 15th behind Shocking.
