Melbourne Cup 2008 Blog

Moonee Valley Cup and Cox Plate results

If you purchased my e-book "How To Pick The Winner of The 2007 Emirates Melbourne Cup"

you will already have the rusults of the important 'lead up' races up until the Caulfield Cup.  In the e-book I promised I would post the results of the Moonee Valley Cup, The Cox Plate,  The Saab Quality and the McKinnon Stakes on this blog after each race is run.  Here are the results of the Moonee Valley Cup and the Cox Plate which were run on Saturday 27th October.

If you have not already purchased your copy of "How To Pick The Winner of The 2007 Emirates Melbourne Cup" I invite you to peruse the e-book at http://PickTheCupWinner.com.au

Lead up event - The Cathay Pacific Airways Cup  (Moonee Valley Cup)

Group 2   2500 metres  run on Saturday 27^th October

1^st  Gallic  2^nd  Lazer Sharp 3^rd Jukebox Johnny 4^th  Sarrera  5^th Sentire                       6^th   Dolphin Jo   

Earlier, Gallic improved in Melbourne Cup favouritism after winning the Group Two Moonee Valley Cup. Jockey Steven Arnold guided the eight-year-old gelding to a one-and-a-quarter length victory ahead of Lazer Sharp with Jukebox Johnny third. The win added to Gallic's victories earlier this year in the Adelaide Cup and the Sydney Cup.

 

Lead up event - W S Cox Plate  Group 1 2040 metres run Saturday 27^th October 

1^st El Segundo 2^nd  Wonderful World 3^rd  Haradasun   4^th Miss Finland 5^th Devil Moon 6^th Eskimo Queen  

El Segundo timed its finish to perfection to claim a two-length victory in this race. Jockey Luke Nolen produced a patience performance on El Segundo who released a scintillating sprint to finish well clear of Wonderful World and Haradasun.Pre-race favourite Miss Finland could only manage fourth position. One to watch for the Melbourne Cup could be Zipping.

The Fuzz wins 2007 Geelong Cup

After The Fuzz won the Geelong Cup on Wednesday 24th October the indications are that trainer David Hayes could have as many as six contenders in the $5 million Melbourne Cup.

Hayes has seven of the top 31 qualified horses for the Melbourne Cup. These include Tawqeet, Blue Monday, The Fuzz, Miss Finland Lazer Sharp and Viz Vitae and Black.   (Not bad odds!)

The Fuzz looks certain to be one of Hayes' Melbourne Cup runners after his Geelong Cup effort yesterday. Starting at $6.50, The Fuzz forged away over the final 100 metres to beat the $2.80 favourite Zavite, with a three-length margin to Desert Master ($26) in third place.

In recent years, the Geelong Cup winner has often received a one-kilogram penalty and if The Fuzz was rehandicapped for the Melbourne Cup by that amount, it would take him to 51 and place him 28th in the order of entry between Caulfield Cup runner-up Douro Valley (27th) and Dolphin Jo (29th).

Last year, Mandela was penalised one kilogram for his Geelong Cup win, as was Pacific Dancer in 2004. In 2002, Media Puzzle leapt into the Melbourne Cup field and eventually won the race with a 1.5-kilogram penalty from his Geelong Cup win.

About Dolphin Jo

 

Patrick Bartley, writing in the Sydney Morning Herald wrote on the 7th of October:

GRITTY country stayer Dolphin Joe yesterday raced himself into Melbourne Cup calculations following his win in the $150,000 The Bart Cummings at Flemington.

And trainer Terry O'Sullivan yesterday had some words for Dolphin Joe's critics, who claimed his strike rate in the past 18 months has been below par.

"He's never had any luck. Tracks have been against him, wrong races at wrong times … he just hasn't been able to get it all right at once," O'Sullivan said.

"But today he did. He loves that sting out of the ground and he seems to relish racing at Flemington, so I gave him a great hope of winning."

It was a win-win situation for O'Sullivan, as not only did Dolphin Joe become fully qualified for the Melbourne Cup, the trainer also received a bonus of $20,000 for winning the Bart Cummings.

The award was given to the trainer who could accumulate as many points in a range of races over the past two months, and Dolphin Joe's win yesterday promoted the horse to the top of the points table.

O'Sullivan said Dolphin Joe would now race in Saturday's Winning Edge Presentation Stakes at Caulfield, the Moonee Valley Cup a fortnight later and then the Melbourne Cup.

"I haven't really given any thought to the Caulfield Cup," O'Sullivan said. "He's now looking for distance, and it seems the longer the race the better he goes. Perhaps if he won the Winning Edge we'd give thought to a Caulfield Cup start."

Runner-up The Fuzz battled on courageously to finish second at $9 and finished 2½ lengths behind Dolphin Joe at $5.

Light Vision, the $4.40 favourite, was a nose away in third.

About Annenkov

RacingandSports.com.au reported:

Thursday, 4 October 2007: Former Australian cricket star Simon O'Donnell could hit the opposition for six at Flemington on Melbourne Cup day.

O'Donnell has prospects of being among the select few to own a runner in the $5 million Emirates Melbourne Cup.

O'Donnell part owns imported Danehill six-year-old Annenkov, who took a big step towards the first Tuesday in November when he recorded his first Australian win in the $100,000 R.M. Ansett Classic over 2000m at Mornington on September 29.

Raced by a syndicate including O'Donnell and trained by Peter Moody, had 11 starts in the 2000-2400m range in France and appeals as one with the stamina to run well in the Melbourne Cup.

His appearances in France included comfortable wins at 2100m and 2400m at Maisons-Lafitte, second in a Group 3 over 2000m at Longchamp and thirds in a Group 3 at Deauville and a Listed race at Chantilly.

Annenkov is a brother to the world class staying filly Aquarelliste, whose seven wins include three Group1 wins in France including the Oaks and seconds in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe and Hong Kong Vase.

Another full relation is Artiste Royale, a Group 3 and Listed winner in France and third in two Group 1s in California.

Their dam Agathe also raced with distinction in France, winning a Group 3 event, finishing second in the French Two Thousand Guineas and third in the French Oaks.

She was a half-sister to Arcangues, a winner of two Group 1s including the American Breeders' Cup Classic.

Other relations include Air de Cour, winner of the G1 Prix du Cadran over 4000m and second in the French Derby, Agent Double (won French St Leger) and Sumayr (won Grand Prix de Paris and Germany's Preis von Europa).

Agathe is by Manilla, a grandson of Northern Dancer who won five Group1 races in America, two of them at 2400m, and her dam was by Riverman's top class miler and sire Irish River.

Triple Melbourne Cup winner Makybe Diva has a lot in common with Annekov.

Like him she is by a Danzig line sire and her dam is by Riverman from a daughter of Northern Dancer mare.

About Purple Moon

Moon in top form 6/10/07 Leading Emirates Melbourne Cup fancy Purple Moon has been given a clean bill of health following his lengthy journey to Australia. Luca Cumani's charge, who has won a Listed race at Goodwood and York's Ebor on his last two outings, is said to have taken the travelling in his stride. "He left last Sunday and arrived on Tuesday in Melbourne," said Cumani. "Francesca, my daughter, who went with him, is pleased with the way he travelled. He only lost 12 kilos on the trip so we are very happy," he told Racing UK. Purple Moon is generally available at 7-1 to take top honours at Flemington on November 6.

About Dolphin Jo

Andrew Eddy writing in The Age Newspaper told of Dolphin Jo
October 7, 2007

DOLPHIN JO hardly improved his chances of getting a run in next month's $5 million Melbourne Cup, but trainer Terry O'Sullivan was delighted with the way his stayer thrashed his rivals in the listed Bart Cummings (2530 metres) at Flemington yesterday.

"He's going really well this time around," O'Sullivan said. "He was a bit immature when he ran in the Melbourne Cup last year, but he's a tough little bugger and is better equipped for the race this year."

The concern for O'Sullivan is that Dolphin Jo was yesterday 56th in the order to gain a Melbourne Cup start and a penalty of one kilogram for yesterday's win would promote him to only about 44th. "I'm thinking we might back him up in the (group 2) Winning Edge (Stakes) and if he was to win that, you'd think he'd get into the Cup," O'Sullivan said. "They might be a bit too nippy for him in the Caulfield Cup, but it is the Melbourne Cup we are really aiming for."

Despite not yet earning a run in either the Caulfield Cup (equal 50th in order) or the Melbourne Cup, bookmakers slashed Dolphin Jo's price in both races from $81 to $34.

Dolphin Jo ($5) burst clear inside the 200-metre mark to score by 2½ lengths over The Fuzz ($9), with a nose to the $4.40 favourite Light Vision, third.

O'Sullivan was also $20,000 richer as the win clinched the trainers' section of the Victoria Racing Club's stayers' award. O'Sullivan finished on 32 points to nose out Danny O'Brien on 31.

Last year, Dolphin Jo, as a four-year-old, ran 15th in the Melbourne Cup won by Delta Blues, but O'Sullivan said the horse was a little immature and that he made an error in tactics.

"I told his rider (Aaron Spiteri) to ride him back in the race but we were just stuck out the back when the pace slackened. I am convinced if we had ridden him with a little more aggression, he would have finished in the first 10."

The state's leading apprentice, Sebastian Murphy, 17, is hoping that Dolphin Jo can take him into his first Melbourne Cup.

"He's only got 50 kilograms and I've only just come back from suspension and am riding at 53 today. I'm trying to get down to 51 to ride Brom Felinity in the Caulfield Cup and this horse might get a penalty, which will help me," Murphy said.

"He was the winner the whole way. But I suppose it was a pretty moderate field."

Murphy could have ridden Light Vision yesterday but opted for Dolphin Jo. "We'll get a better guide on how he's lining up in the Moonee Valley Cup but the horse is going very well."