Courtesy The West Australian website:

ALAN MATHEWS does not see himself as a seer like Nostradamus, but a prediction he made three years ago could become reality tomorrow.

The man known as the cups king of WA will play another strong hand in the $350,000 BMW Perth Cup (3200m) when he saddles the two most favoured runners, Tumeric and Bold Mirage.

Three years ago, when he was enjoying the excitement of winning his fifth Perth Cup with Lottila Bay, Mathews was asked about his prospects of winning a sixth cup.

He fired back that he had a maiden running at Bunbury two days later who "could be my next cup winner".

The horse was Bold Mirage - a $27,500 yearling who was a half-brother to 1992 Perth Cup winner Mirror Magic.

"John Chalmers had bought Bold Mirage in New Zealand," Mathews recalled. "He goes to New Zealand to buy stayers - so I knew the horse would have that potential."

For part-owner Chalmers, history could repeat through Bold Mirage, who can emulate Chalmers' good mare Mirror Magic by winning the Cox Stakes-Perth Cup double in the same season.

Mathews won his first cup with Word Of Honour in 1990. Word Of Honour ran a close second to Zamlight 12 months later before Mathews won successive cups between 1992-94 with Mirror Magic, Field Officer and Palatious.

Lottila Bay was his oldest cup winner at 10 years in 2001 and stablemate Shoeless ran a brave third to Cardinal Colours in the last cup.

Lottila Bay joined Magistrate, who won in 1981 and 82, as the oldest horse to win the cup in its 116-year history.

Lottila Bay's cup win also signalled the re-emergence of Mathews' stable.

A drop in the number of owners - because horse racing became too unprofitable - meant increased competition for those who did survive.

And Mathews' fame as a Perth Cup-winning trainer had back-fired on him because many owners dismissed him in favour of trainers who could offer a faster return by churning out sprinters.

"The majority of horses coming into my stable are still stayers," Mathews said. "But it has been good to have success, too, with sprinters like Island Light."

Mathews counts himself lucky that Tumeric and Bold Mirage have had a faultless preparation leading up to the cup. He knows too well that one slight knock or cut in the wrong place or at the wrong time could sabotage months of planning and preparation.

"They worked very well on the main grass at Ascot on Saturday," he said. "They are fit and well.

"And they've drawn good barriers, which is a big help."

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