While many trainers are looking to Queensland winter riches, Gai Waterhouse is happy to keep Lord Mayors Cup winner Ecuador (NZ) (High Chaparral) close to home.
The six-year-old's Listed win at Rosehill on Saturday was his first for almost a year.
And Waterhouse was quick to praise his jockey Adam Hyeronimus who took him to the front and rated him to perfection with Ecuador ($7.50) holding off the favourite Lady Le Fay ($3.80) by 1-1/2 lengths.
"I told Adam to get him going and it was a display of front-running at its best," Waterhouse said.
"Adam is a heavyweight jockey with a lot of talent but he is a bit injury-prone.
"And the horse has a lot of talent but he has done things wrong and stubbed himself in the toe.
"We have now barred the blinkers and he relaxed much better."
Waterhouse said Ecuador would stay in Sydney for the winter staying features like the McKell Cup and Winter Cup.
"He will stay here now he is in form," she said.
Although he hadn't won for so long, Ecuador did run second in the 2015 Group One Epsom Handicap.
While the winner Winx went on to establish herself as the nation's top horse with wins in the Cox Plate, George Ryder and Doncaster Mile, Ecuador has struggled.
"After the Epsom we ran him in the Group One Mackinnon Stakes and the Emirates in the spring," Waterhouse said.
"But he has been a slow maturer and just didn't handle things."
Ecuador was sold for $360,000 from Esker Lodge's 2011 NZB Yearling Sale draft.
Lady le Fay (NZ) (Thorn Park) ran well from an awkward draw to finish second. Also an NZB graduate, she was sold in 2012 from the draft of Windsor Park Stud and is raced by a group of owners including Waikato Stud. -AAP
The six-year-old's Listed win at Rosehill on Saturday was his first for almost a year.
And Waterhouse was quick to praise his jockey Adam Hyeronimus who took him to the front and rated him to perfection with Ecuador ($7.50) holding off the favourite Lady Le Fay ($3.80) by 1-1/2 lengths.
"I told Adam to get him going and it was a display of front-running at its best," Waterhouse said.
"Adam is a heavyweight jockey with a lot of talent but he is a bit injury-prone.
"And the horse has a lot of talent but he has done things wrong and stubbed himself in the toe.
"We have now barred the blinkers and he relaxed much better."
Waterhouse said Ecuador would stay in Sydney for the winter staying features like the McKell Cup and Winter Cup.
"He will stay here now he is in form," she said.
Although he hadn't won for so long, Ecuador did run second in the 2015 Group One Epsom Handicap.
While the winner Winx went on to establish herself as the nation's top horse with wins in the Cox Plate, George Ryder and Doncaster Mile, Ecuador has struggled.
"After the Epsom we ran him in the Group One Mackinnon Stakes and the Emirates in the spring," Waterhouse said.
"But he has been a slow maturer and just didn't handle things."
Ecuador was sold for $360,000 from Esker Lodge's 2011 NZB Yearling Sale draft.
Lady le Fay (NZ) (Thorn Park) ran well from an awkward draw to finish second. Also an NZB graduate, she was sold in 2012 from the draft of Windsor Park Stud and is raced by a group of owners including Waikato Stud. -AAP