Last year's Perth Cup favourite, Sentimental Hero, will enter the 2026 edition as a forgotten contender, but his trainer insists the eight-year-old gelding is a far greater threat this time around.
From Favourite to Forgotten
Despite starting as a firm $3.50 favourite in the 2025 Perth Cup (2400m), Sentimental Hero's campaign ended in disappointment. After leading for most of the race, he faded from the turn to finish a distant last, some 20 lengths behind the winner.
Fast forward to New Year's Day 2026, and the mood is different. The son of Al Maher is now a $13 chance with TABtouch for the $1 million feature at Ascot. However, his trainer, Kalgoorlie-based Peter Fernie, believes the outsider tag is misleading.
"I think he's going better," Fernie stated. "Last year, he was a bit over the top, and it was only my first prep with him."
A Stellar Lead-Up Campaign
Fernie's confidence stems from the horse's performances over the past 12 months. Purchased for just $50,000 five months before his first cup attempt, Sentimental Hero has since amassed significant earnings.
His recent campaign highlights are impressive:
- Victory in the $125,000 Boulder Cup (2100m).
- A win in the $150,000 Kalgoorlie Cup, where he carried a record 60.5kg.
- A career-best third placing in Western Australia's prestigious Railway Stakes.
These results have boosted his career earnings by $330,000 and earned him a Perth Cup weight of 58.5kg, a significant rise from the 53kg minimum he carried last year.
"He broke the weight carrying record in the Kalgoorlie Cup," Fernie noted. "So I don't think the weight will worry him that much. It helps those that only have to carry 53kg but I think it makes less difference this year."
New Partnership and Form Excuses
Veteran jockey Craig Newitt has taken the reins, partnering with Sentimental Hero for his runs in both the Railway and Northerly Stakes. Fernie attributes the gelding's only poor lead-up run in the Northerly Stakes to a change in tactics.
"This time, he's only had one bad run when Craig tried to ride him quieter," Fernie explained.
The trainer also pointed to the form of fellow cup contender Diamond Scene, a $9 chance, for comparison. "Diamond Scene has been half his price the whole way through but has only beaten him home in that race when he (Sentimental Hero) had a terrible run."
Fernie will have a strong hand on the January 1 race card, also saddling up Treble Maker in race five and Secret Attraction in race eight, both of whom he expects to run well.
As the gates fly open for the 2026 Perth Cup, all eyes may be on the favourites, but one seasoned trainer from the Goldfields believes his forgotten hero is primed to write a very different ending to last year's story.
