Melbourne Cup 2008 Blog

TYeats IS coming for the Cup

Link: The Virtual FormGuide - Ir-Vine - O'Brien Gives Yeats Green Light for Cup.

Champion Irish trainer Aidan O'Brien has given the green light for star stayer Yeats to come to Australia for the Group One Emirates Melbourne Cup (3200m).

The Ballydoyle horseman told the Racing Post that provided everything went to plan the Royal Ascot Gold Cup hero would contest Australia's most famous race.

Heavily backed a fortnight ago with bookmakers across Australia, Yeats has reportedly not coming to Australia with Racing Victorian issuing a press release ruling the star out of the race.

Dream the Dream

Link: Racing and Sports - Leaders in Horse Racing News, Statistics and Technology.

The winner of four of her nine starts, Dream The Dream has thrilled Edwards with her strong track gallops at Geelong.

"I have never had a horse getting ready for a Melbourne Cup before but if any of the other Cup horses are working as good as her I would be surprised," Edwards said.

He said if he could get Dream The Dream back on track she could contest either the Geelong Cup (2400m) on October 25 or the Moonee Valley Cup (2500m) on October 28.

Racing and Sports - Melbourne Cup 2006, Flemington Australian Spring Carnival

Link: Racing and Sports - Melbourne Cup 2006, Flemington Australian Spring Carnival.

Wednesday, 27 September 2006: Top trainer David Hayes has been in good form this spring, especially at Caulfield, but is adamant history shows his performances are better at Flemington and has his sights set on another Melbourne Cup.

Hayes won his first and only Melbourne Cup in 1994 when the Shadwell Stud owned import Jeune scored a memorable win for Wayne Harris.

The win also catapulted Hayes onto the world stage and that same season went to Hong Kong where he was among the upper echelon for a decade, including a few premierships.

Having returned in the middle of last season, Hayes didn’t waste any time finding his feet again and already this spring has stamped his authority on the carnival.

But he has a strong team of stayers on target for another Melbourne Cup, led by another Shadwell owned import Tawqeet.

The five-year-old was sent to Australia in April with the Cup in mind and after one “acclimatising” run in winter went for a spell to be aimed at the spring.

This time in he has finished a close-up fifth first-up with a big weight over a mile at Caulfield, then fifth over 1700m at Flemington in slow ground, again carrying a big weight.

Last start, over 2000m in the Naturalism Stakes, he drew off the track, had a big weight and was at the tail throughout before motoring home to finish fifth behind Zipping.

“At this stage he is my best Cups chance,” Hayes said.

“All his runs in Australia have been good but his latest was excellent. He’s a good stayer with a nice weight in the Cup. He was sent here in April with the Melbourne Cup in mind and he’s done everything right so far.”

Tawqeet, with just 52.5kg in the Cups, is a $20 Caulfield Cup chance with Sportingbet but just $14 for the Melbourne Cup.

Stablemates Short Pause and Defining are $61 and $126 for the Melbourne Cup and both are coming to hand according to Hayes.

Short Pause finished third behind Maybe Better last start over 2000m at his third run back and will run in the Metropolitan, while Defining, following a track galloper recently, resumed with 62kg over 1800m at Morphettville and will strip far fitter.

“Both horses are going well but won’t be at their best until at least over a mile and a half,” Hayes said.

“Short Pause has settled in really well and he’s ready to show his best form now, while Defining is nowhere near wound up yet but his next run is important in seeing how he’s coming along.”

Jagger, another import who is already qualified for the Cup, is rated a $71 chance and will step out in Saturday’s Ansett Classic at Mornington.

“He disappointed last start and was later found to have a virus,” Hayes said.

“He’s another who will be fitter and we’ll be looking to see improve over the mile and a half.”

Stablemates Gothic Marion and Purde and more than capable stayers but are unlikely to gain starts unless either can win a ballot exempt race.

The pair are both $81 chances.

Racing and Sports - Melbourne Cup 2006, Flemington Australian Spring Carnival

Link: Racing and Sports - Melbourne Cup 2006, Flemington Australian Spring Carnival.

Tuesday, 26 September 2006: Geordieland is the latest overseas runner to come in for significant Melbourne Cup support, being backed to win just shy of $1million with Sportingbet Australia overnight.

The French-bred son of Johann Quatz was backed by an overseas client with a wager of $750,000 to $25,000 Each Way (at $31) to win the Cup on November 7.

The punter is not believed to be connected with the horse.

Geordieland has been allotted 54kg in the Melbourne Cup and had his most recent outing when 4th, beaten two lengths, to Mudawin, Glistening and Young Mick in the Ebor Handicap (2800m) at York on August 23.

At his previous start, Geordieland was beaten five lengths when second to Yeats in the Group 2 Goodwood Cup (3200m).

In both events he recorded a rating of 116.

Yeats of course was the subject of a nationwide plunge earlier this month before his shock defeat in the Irish St Leger.

Geordieland’s most recent victory came in June last year, when he won a Group 2 event over 2400m at Chantilly.

Overall, he is the winner of five races from 21 starts and another nine minor placings.

Trainer Jamie Osborne has said the horse was specifically purchased as a Melbourne Cup prospect and may take in the Caulfield Cup on the way through.

Racing Post reported Osborne as saying “we took the view that he was the best horse in Europe available at a working man’s price.”

Australian Horse Breeding and Racing news updated daily, www.thoroughbrednews.co.nz

Link: Australian Horse Breeding and Racing news updated daily, www.thoroughbrednews.co.nz.

New Zealand owner-breeder Bob Emery has his sights set on going one better in the $5 million, Group I, Emirates Melbourne Cup (3200m) on November 7 with Zarius (NZ) (Zabeel x Sadlers Home by Sadler's Wells) who returned to winning form with a vengeance over 2000m at Hastings on Saturday.

In 1998 Emery-owned Champagne (NZ) (Zabeel x L'Quiz by L'Enjoleur) finished second behind fellow New Zealand-bred mare Jezabeel (NZ) (Zabeel x Passefleur) in the Melbourne Cup.

Zarius (NZ) will start next in the $NZ1 million Kelt Capital Stakes (2040m) at Hastings on October 7 followed by a start over 2100m at Te Rapa on October 23.

He will then have his final Melbourne Cup lead-up in the $750,000, Group I, Motorola Mackinnon Stakes (2000m) at Flemington on November 4.

Zarius (NZ) will be ridden throughout his spring campaign by New Zealand's leading jockey Michael Walker.

The Virtual FormGuide - AAP - Zipping Penalised A Kilo For Cups

Link: The Virtual FormGuide - AAP - Zipping Penalised A Kilo For Cups.

Caulfield Cup favourite Zipping is assured of a start in the feature race after he was on Monday penalised a kilo for his win in the Naturalism Stakes.

Zipping will now carry 52.5kg, which is 5.5kg under weight-for-age and promoted him from equal 42nd to equal 29th on the order of entry but he will be higher when second declarations are taken on Tuesday.

The winner of nine races from 16 starts, the Danehill five-year-old was also penalised a kilo to 52.5kg for the Melbourne Cup but is yet satisfy the ballot clause for a performance at 2300 metres or further.

Zipping's Cups quotes with TAB Sportsbet were unaffected by the penalties and he remains the $6 favourite for the Caulfield Cup and $17 for the Melbourne Cup.

Racing Victoria chief handicapper Greg Carpenter noted that Zipping, who carried 58kg in the Listed Naturalism (2000m) at Caulfield on Saturday, beat fellow Cup aspirants Show Barry (second), Growl (third) and Tawqeet (fifth) and that the penalty only brought him into line with those horses for the Caulfield Cup.

"In actual fact the kilo penalty doesn't make him any worse off against the main players from that race on Saturday but reflect that he was able to beat those horses giving them weight," Carpenter said.

"He gave Show Barry a half kilo and now with the kilo penalty has half a kilo more than him again in the Cup while he has the same weight as Tawqeet after giving him a kilo on Saturday," Carpenter said.

Zipping carried five kilos more than Growl in the Naturalism and will carry 3.5kg more than him in the Caulfield cup.

Recent winners of the Naturalism Stakes to be issued a Cup penalty include Our Unicorn (1g in 1998), Second Coming (1.5kg in 1999), Rose Archway (.5kg in 2003) and Confectioner (1.5kg in 2004).

Carpenter also gave English stayer Young Mick a kilo penalty for the Melbourne Cup and he will now carry 53kg after his dominant win over Munsef and fellow Cup hopeful Glistening in the Group Three Cumberland Lodge Stakes over 2400m at Ascot on Sunday.He has leapt on the order of entry from 33rd to 22nd but trainer George Margarson said he was only a 50-50 chance to make the trip.

"The Melbourne Cup is foremost in my mind although it's only 50-50 at the moment," Margarson told racingpost.co.uk, adding that races in Japan and Dubai also figure in his plans.

"He's been running for 18 months solid and I just wonder whether he'd relish an 18-hour aeroplane ride to Australia."

The win was the gelding's first at Group level and remarkably his 10th victory in England this year having started 2006 as an unheralded maiden performer.

Australian Horse Breeding and Racing news updated daily, www.thoroughbrednews.co.nz

Link: Australian Horse Breeding and Racing news updated daily, www.thoroughbrednews.co.nz.

Top New Zealand horseman Lance O'Sullivan has some unfinished Melbourne Cup business to complete at Flemington racecourse on the first Tuesday in November.

O'Sullivan is heading to Victoria's spring carnival with leading Melbourne Cup prospect Pentane (NZ) (Pentire x Tuff One by Prince Raider) who produced a barnstorming finish to win the listed Jim and John Evans Ltd Classic (1670m) at Paeroa on Saturday.

It represented the seventh win from 13 starts for Pentane (NZ) and added to an outstanding record which already features a Group 1 victory over 3200m in last season's Auckland Cup at Ellerslie. 

In his next four starts Pentane (NZ) will be chasing races worth a total of NZ$10.3 million with his next outing being in the Gr.1  $1 million Kelt Capital Stakes (2040m) at Hastings on October 7.

That will be followed by a tilt at the A$2.5 million Caulfield Cup (2400m) at Caulfield on October 21 followed by the A$750,000 Mackinnon Stakes (2000m) at Flemington on November 4 before he contests the A$5 million Melbourne Cup (3200m) at Flemington three days later.

Pentane (NZ) will be ridden by Brett Prebble in his Melbourne engagements.

Saturday's winning jockey, apprentice Chad Ormsby, will most likely retain the mount on the gelding for the Gr.1 Kelt Capital Stakes (2040m).

O'Sullivan said the Melbourne Cup is still the single race everyone involved in horse racing in Australasia dreams of winning.

In 1985 O'Sullivan came within a whisker of  winning the race as a jockey when Korrie Corrie May (NZ) (Sir Tristram x Corrie Maree by Kurdistan), trained by his father Dave and brother Paul, finished second behind What A Nuisance.

O'Sullivan said after Saturday's race that everything was perfectly on target for the Melbourne Cup with Pentane (NZ).

'I would have been happy if he finished in the first four home in today's race and the main thing was to see him running home well,' O'Sullivan said.

'The face he won the race was a bonus and he's come through the race like he hadn't even had a run,' O'Sullivan said.

'He has come up stronger this campaign and is a more mature horse,'

O'Sullivan said. 'He's very robust and nothing much worries him at the races.'

O'Sullivan has decided on using Cranbourne as the spring carnival base in Melbourne for Pentane (NZ) who is owned by his Auckland breeders, Peter and Michael Fraher.

Zarius on track for Cup | RACING | SPORT | tvnz.co.nz

Link: Zarius on track for Cup | RACING | SPORT | tvnz.co.nz.

Mark Walker-trained Zarius staked his claims as a serious Melbourne Cup contender with a powerful last-stride win in the open 2000m event at Hastings on Saturday.

Ridden by Michael Walker, Zarius stormed home in the final 200 metres in only the second run of his spring campaign to grab Shamrock Star in the closing stages.

The Zabeel five-year-old gelding is owned by Cambridge man Bob Emery who was the owner of 1998 Melbourne Cup runner-up Champagne (also by Zabeel).

Zarius will contest the Caulfield Cup and Mackinnon Stakes in Melbourne en route to a start in the $A5 million Melbourne Cup (3200m) at Flemington on November 7.

Last season Zarius won the Group 2 City Of Auckland Cup (2400m) at Ellerslie and finished third in the Group 1 Auckland Cup (3200m) at Ellerslie.

He has been weighted at 50.5kg for this year's Melbourne Cup.

Godolphin has Cup 'dark horse' | Sport | The Australian

Link: Godolphin has Cup 'dark horse' | Sport | The Australian.

GODOLPHIN Racing, the powerful global racing stable, has confirmed it will again have a $5m Melbourne Cup contender after its "dark horse" Imperial Stride emerged from the shadows to win his first start in 12 months in England on Wednesday.

Imperial Stride tightened markedly for the Caulfield-Melbourne Cups double, but remains a relative outsider at $26 for the $3m Cox Plate, for which he is also entered.

The six-year-old has 55.5kg for the $2.515m Caulfield Cup (2400m) on October 21 and has the same weight for the Melbourne Cup (3200m) at Flemington on November 7.

Godolphin gave Imperial Stride the green light to contest the cups after Australian rider Kerrin McEvoy brought him home late for a last-stride win in the Charles James Foundation Stakes (2000m) at Goodwood.

It was Imperial Stride's fifth consecutive win but his first appearance since September 3 last year. He has been off the scene because of an ankle injury which he picked up soon after arriving in Dubai last December. Godolphin had bought Imperial Stride privately after his September 3 win and the Goodwood race was his first start in its familiar all blue colours.

It was because of the injury and the lay-off that Godolphin branded Imperial Stride its "dark horse" of seven entries for the Melbourne Cup.

Godolphin's racing manager Simon Crisford stressed Imperial Stride was far from his peak, adding: "He was very rusty and he'll come on a lot for that (run). There's no doubt about it."

McEvoy, who won the 2000 Melbourne Cup on Brew, will partner Imperial Stride in Australia.

Imperial Stride has firmed from $17 to $13 for the Caulfield Cup while his Melbourne Cup price has been trimmed from $21 into equal fourth favourite at $17.

Yeats beaten in The Curragh

Link: International Horse Breeding and Racing news updated daily, www.thoroughbrednews.co.nz.

By Rob Burnet

Yeats, the subject of a significant plunge with Australian bookmakers and TAB Sportsbet earlier this week for the Emirates Melbourne Cup, was defeated in his lead-up race at the Curragh, Ireland, on Saturday.

The Group I Irish St Leger (2800m) was meant to be the Aidan O’Brien trained five-year-old’s final race before entering quarantine with a win expected, however the John Oxx trainer, and HH Aga Khan bred and owned, Kastoria proved to be too good in a duel with Yeats that left the rest of the eight horse field a long way behind.

Kastoria, a five-year-old Selkirk mare, came into the race with a Group III and listed win and Oxx had her in good form. Yeats and Kerien Fallon had gone to the lead with 1000m to run, but Kastoria under Mick Kinane settled down to chase.

Kinane positioned the mare behind Yeats and at the 200m mark he made his challenge. Kastoria responded well and prevailed by 1/2L.

The Whisling Teal (Rudimentary) was 10L behind in third. The time was 3.01.00 on the good track.

“Kastoria is a terrific mare. She has run very well in all her races this year bar the Yorkshire Cup and having a good horse like Yeats in front of her over the last half mile today helped bring out the best in her,” said Oxx.

Oxx is now considering taking Kastoria to Woodbine, Canada, for the Canadian International on October 22, and he said eh would also look at an invitation for Hong Kong should it be offered.

Aidan O'Brien offered no excuses for Yeats other than suggesting that the five-year-old might need a rest.

“You can take nothing away from the winner. She did it very well. It is possible that Yeats was at his peak for Royal Ascot and Goodwood and it could be that he needs a rest. But we will wait and see how he comes out of the race before deciding on the Melbourne Cup. The zoom he showed in his previous races this season was missing today,” he said reported The Racing Post.

Kastoria, out of the Shernazar mare Kassana, had a sinus problem before she raced and vets bored a hole in her head to help drain her from the infections. After 11 races she has won six and placed in four, and earned stakes of £282,956.

Betfair reported after the St Leger that Yeats has gone out to10-1 on Betfair for the Melbourne Cup. The Gold Cup winner went off the 2-7 favourite but traded even lower in running on Betfair when Kieren Fallon sent him for home some way out, and Yeats was backed at 1-20.