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That would be interesting!!!
It’ll be interesting to see if Tactic comes down here, still looking like the field will be at least half international.
My latest local who I think could do okay come the Melbourne Cup is Ironstein.
Only a restricted class stayer, having his first run in a Listed race in the Caloundra Cup this weekend – a horse named Sphenophyta ran 2nd in this race in 2006, he progressed that spring to start favourite in the Caulfield Cup but he injured himself before the Melbourne Cup, where he would have been one of the favourites.
He’s really impressing me, Ironstein, he keeps jumping up in grade and running good races.
Just missed out getting my act together for the Ironstein race.
Audio interview with Aidan O’Brien, after the Irish Derby.
http://www.racingandsports.com.au/racin … 0O%27Brien
Says needs a seasoned campaigner, and that it is tough season for European 3yos. Rather restricts the options for Ballydoyle, doesn’t it? Was rather non-committal about whether Age Of Aquarius would go for the race, but said that they would have something (entered, rather than deffo run).
I haven’t been looking for Melbourne Cup news for the past few weeks as I’ve been busy with other things, and mistakenly thought it would be a quiet time for news.
Seems that Purple Moon is a probable, rather than a possible.
Kasbah Bliss
is in the mix!
Dermot Weld unearths another Cup contender
Print this news Friday 18.06.2010International trailblazer Dermot Weld has unearthed another contender for this year’s historic 150th Emirates Melbourne Cup following last night’s (AET) win of Rite Of Passage in the prestigious Ascot Gold Cup (4000m) at Royal Ascot, UK.
“I suppose we’ll have to take him to Melbourne now,” Weld said immediately after the six-year-old delivered his first success in England’s most famous staying race.
Like Weld’s inaugural Melbourne Cup winner Vintage Cup (1993), Rite Of Passage was better-known as a promising hurdler before last night’s dominant staying performance in front of the Queen.
Weld’s previous best performances in the Ascot Gold Cup were placings with Vintage Crop in 1994 – the year after his Melbourne Cup success – and in 2005 with Vinnie Roe, the year after his second placing in the Melbourne Cup behind the great Makybe Diva.
Weld is the only European trainer to have won the Melbourne Cup, landing the prize for a second time with Media Puzzle in 2002 which is now the subject of the movie The Cup that is being filmed around Melbourne at present.
English bookmaker Paddy Power has already installed Rite Of Passage as a 10/1 chance for this year’s Melbourne Cup for which entries close on 3 August. Interestingly, he has also been quoted at 14/1 for next year’s Champion Hurdles in the UK.
On a track rated good to firm, Rite Of Passage, ridden a perfect race by Vinnie Roe’s former jockey Pat Smullen, ran a course record 4:16.92 for the 4000 metre journey.
Starting at 20/1 on track, he ran down Aidan O’Brien’s Age Of Aquarius (6/1) over the final 200 metres to win by a neck with 2007 Melbourne Cup runner-up Purple Moon (12/1) six lengths away in third.
Interestingly, Rite Of Passage is owned by Dr Richard Lambe, an Irish research scientist whose daughter Kate is currently attending university in Melbourne.
Weld’s son Mark said Dr Lambe was a regular visitor to Melbourne to see his daughter and was very keen to have a runner in the Melbourne Cup.
He said Dr Lambe had arrived at Weld’s Rosewell stables at The Curragh in his Jaguar about five years ago, knocked on the door and said he wanted to buy some horses.
“Money is no object to him and he’s now one of our principal owners,” Mark Weld said.
Dermot Weld also intends to bring Profound Beauty, who ran fifth behind Viewed in the 2008 Melbourne Cup, back to Melbourne this year.
“She’s in good shape and if she comes through her next two runs okay, she’ll be back in Melbourne,” he said overnight.
It was only three months ago that Rite Of Passage, a son of Giant’s Causeway, finished third in a Novice Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival.
Dermot Weld said he had paid 20,000 guineas for Rite Of Passage as a yearling because his grand dam was the champion staying mare Dahlia and he was a very active horse.
He will use the same route to the Melbourne Cup with Rite Of Passage as he did with Vintage Crop and Vinnie Roe, running in the Irish St Leger in September.
Smullen was later suspended for four days for pushing out of a pocket turning for home, causing interference to the 11/4 favourite Ask who finished fifth. Johnny Murtagh, the rider of runner-up Age Of Aquarius, was suspended for three days for excessive use of the whip.
Regular Melbourne visitor Luca Cumani was pleased with the run of minor placegetter Purple Moon’s and said will also be a likely visitor to Melbourne this spring.
“I haven’t finalised my horses for Melbourne yet but he is likely to go back again,” Cumani, who also has 2008 Melbourne Cup runner-up Bauer and the Australian-owned Manighar on Cup preparations, said after the race.
Later in the program [
sic
], the Cumani-trained Afsare scored the narrowest of wins over the Queen’s horse Quadrille in the Listed Hampton Court Stakes (2000m).
“I won’t be popular for that,” joked the Italian-born Cumani, “but then again I’m not a subject.”
In further news from the Ascot Gold Cup, the connections of French stayer Kasbah Bliss, who has also forged a career as a hurdler, have declared their desire to come to Melbourne too.
Kasbah Bliss, trained by Francois Doumen, ran an even race to finish sixth in the Gold Cup and his connections are also keen to target this year’s 150th Melbourne Cup.
Still in catch-up mode:-
John Dunlop eyes Melbourne Cup for impressive Curragh Cup hero Tactic
By Sportsmail Reporter Last updated at 8:14 PM on 27th June 2010
Tactic will be given an entry for the Melbourne Cup after his superb victory in Saturday’s Curragh Cup.
John Dunlop’s progressive four-year-old defeated the high-class Profound Beauty by two lengths, having previously won a Listed race at York without breaking sweat.
He is now poised to run in the Goodwood Cup on July 29, after which a trip Down Under could be on the cards.
‘The ground suited us better than it did Profound Beauty, but we were obviously delighted with him,’ reported Angus Gold, racing manager for owner Hamdan Al Maktoum.
‘The plan before Saturday was that if all went well he’d go to Goodwood, and that’s obviously still in our minds.
‘The handicapper will obviously put him up after Saturday, but we’ll also put
him in the Melbourne Cup as that could be a good end-of-season target for him.‘He can hopefully become a very good Cup horse.’
What shall we do with the Drunken Sailor, ear-lie in the morning?
I’m a bit slow, and didn’t think of this yesterday. Cumani has described Drunken Sailor as a 107 rated h’capper, who is an out-and-out 1m4f horse. Erm, would that mean they’re thinking about the Caulfield Cup?
Cumani’s plans for John Smith’s Northumberland Plate runner-up Drunken Sailor, meanwhile, are much further from home with the trainer eyeing a tilt at the Emirates Melbourne Cup.
Purple Moon in 2007 and Bauer in 2008 both finished runner up in the race and Cumani sees the Samanda Racing-owned five-year-old as the perfect Melbourne Cup type.
"Drunken Sailor was unlucky in the Northumberland Plate as a scuffed start and some early trouble in-running ahead of him in the run to the first bend meant that what we had anticipated might be a decent position early on went west," the trainer told his website.
"To finish where he did from an unpromising position entering the straight was an excellent effort and though he has gone up 3lb to 110 as a consequence, his effort opens up more options for us.
"Three months ago we felt he wasn’t particularly handicapped but he has continued to surprise us with his versatility as well as improvement and at this early stage looks very much an idealtype for the Melbourne Cup."
Cumani added: "One small problem that might yet prevent him getting there is that he doesn’t yet fulfil the rather strange criteria for entry, having not won a race with the necessary prize-money over 2,300m or more.
"He’s a possible for the John Smith’s Silver Cup at York next weekend, and if we can win that then we can give Australia some serious thought."
Drunken Sailor won £32.5k for coming second in the Northumberland Plate, which isn’t quite enough.
A bit of a diversion here. I suppose quite a few of us were wondering what the plans were for Breeders’ Cup Marathon winner, Man Of Iron.
It looks like the D-Day for Man Of Iron is the G2 Princess of Wales’s Stakes on Thursday. He has to run well in that, or it is the handicap route.
Drunken Sailor looks a nice type to my eye. Definitely a possibility.
Man of Iron also would be suited here IMO but it doesn’t sound like he’ll be coming here.
Tactic definitely a chance too, the thing that concerns me about Profound Beauty is that she doesn’t really like hard ground. If it pours on the day, she’d just about win IMO.
I’ve read an article since about Purple Moon which suggests he is back in the possibles rather than probables category.
Kasbah Bliss would be good here.
Ironstein is a very very nice up and comer. His trainer, Gerald Ryan, is saying Melbourne next year will be his time to shine. So we probably won’t see him in the spring races this year.
What do you think Gerald? Could the field be more than half internationals this year? It’s looking that way.
It will definitely be half if you include the Imports as well as the Raiders, Andy. Lets see, there’ll be the usual couple from Godolphin, 3 from Cumani, 2 from Weld. A couple of odds and sods brings it up to 9-10. Alandi and Mourayan for Lloyd Williams brings it up to the dozen.
I wanted to book a holiday when there wasn’t any decent racing to divert me from a bit of research, so I booked off the rest of the August Bank Holday week at the end of August/beginning of September. Weights are released 1st edit /2nd September, so I’ll be wallowing in those.
On another issue, Andy, I know Metal Bender is one of your favourite horses. What do you reckon to Metal Bender for the Cox Plate? 25/1 seems a big price to me, and I’ve already invested
. . .Here was an article written earlier today:
RACE:Waller team assembles for spring
By Caryl Williamson
SYDNEY, July 4 AAP – Chris Waller’s rise through the Sydney training ranks has been matched this season by his tally of Group One wins.
Sitting in second position in the Sydney premiership behind the powerful Darley operation headed by Peter Snowden, Waller collected five Group One wins in 2009-10.
His tally was bettered only by Bart Cummings and Peter Moody and Waller is already plotting his assault on the spring features.
Doomben Cup winner Metal Bender is back in work at Rosehill and is about to be joined by Pressday and Triple Honour.
Although he didn’t win a Group One race this season, Triple Honour’s O’Shea Stakes victory showed he was back to the form which gave Waller his first career Group One win in the 2008 Doncaster.
A dual Group One winner when he came to Waller’s stable after an injury break, Metal Bender had a four-start campaign for wins in the Hollindale Stakes and Doomben Cup.
"He only had a short campaign so he is more forward than some of the others," Waller said.
"He is back in work and he and Triple Honour will both begin in the Warwick Stakes in August.
"Metal Bender will be entered for all the big races and we will decide after the Underwood Stakes whether he is a Caulfield Cup horse or a Cox Plate horse.
"Triple Honour will be kept in Sydney as long as possible with the Caulfield Cup in mind.
"If we don’t think he is up to that then we can change plans and concentrate on the Perth races in the summer."
Rising three-year-old Pressday was a revelation at the Brisbane winter carnival, winning three races culminating in the Group One TJ Smith Stakes.
The colt’s owners include Waller and his wife Stephanie and he will be set on a path towards the Caulfield Guineas.
After his unplaced effort in the Pago Pago Stakes, Waller opted to pull the plug on the Golden Slipper and freshen him up for Brisbane.
"Pressday will start back in work this week," Waller said.
"The Caulfield Guineas is the race he’ll be set for."
One horse missing from the spring line-up will be Rangirangdoo who is recovering from a joint problem.Waller decided to give him a long break after he fulfilled his promise by winning Randwick’s famous mile after Group One placings behind Theseo in the Chipping Norton Stakes and Ranvet Stakes.
AAP TURF cw/wb
To be honest, I’m not sure where he’ll go. Not quite sure if he’ll be a stayer, but not sure if Moonee Valley will suit as much as Caulfield. I think he’d be mad not to go to the Cox Plate though, he can easily win.
AJC Oaks winner Daffodil is retired
By AAP RACING 10:59AM 4 JUL 2010New Zealand: Triple Group 1-winning mare Daffodil has been retired.
The 2009 AJC Australian Oaks winner will be mated with Waikato Stud stallion Pins in the coming breeding season, the stud’s Mark Chittick said.
The Chittick family own the No Excuse Needed mare.
"She has achieved a great deal on the track, winning Group 1s in Australia and New Zealand and she took a little longer to show a spring in her step after her last campaign, following a bit of wear and tear," Chittick said on the stud’s website.
"With stakes as they are, she would now need to win a race like the Caulfield Cup and a good colt by Pins might bring a similar result."
Daffodil, who was out of the Chitticks’ smart mare Spring, was trained by Kevin Gray at Palmerston North throughout her career.
She won the Group 1 Thousand Guineas as a three-year-old and looked beaten in the New Zealand Oaks when her gate failed to open properly. She roared home for fourth.
She was set for the AJC Australian Oaks in the autumn and cruised away with the 2400m Classic, relishing the Randwick track in the hands of Hugh Bowman.
Last spring, she won the Group 1 Windsor Park Plate (1600m) at Hastings.
Daffodil won eight races and was placed six times from 26 starts for prize-money of Aus$963,667.
Daffodil got roughed up in both the Caulfield and Melbourne Cups last year – I was slightly surprised she ended up a runner in the latter, after her Caulfield injury. Reduction in prize money of the Kelt Capital would make the decision to retire easier . . .
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he can easily win
Say what? He’d have to improve a few lengths at least. That said he’s the right type on paper to have ago with.
I pushed for Tactic here a while ago. Glad to see they’re seriously considering the Downunder option.
Man Of Iron is an interesting prospect. Given a very soft reintroduction first time out. The sort of ride that said to me "This one has targets later in the season". Stallion value? Gee they must be kidding. What’s the most you can get for a National Hunt sire anyway? No more than a Melbourne Cup purse surely? I wouldn’t be so sure that a trip to Melbourne is a no go. It depends what the handicapper makes of a weak BC success.
I’ve only just realised that the Marathon isn’t graded, so Man of Iron isn’t qualified on the placed in a Group race or won a Listed race, but on the prizemoney criterion instead!
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Oh and I forgot to mention – Kasbah Bliss could start now and still have no hope whatsoever in Melbourne.
He’d definitely need to improve, but I think he can.
The Cox Plate the last few years has been weak, I think it may be strong this year but still not as good as some of the 1990’s and early 2000’s editions. Like 1992 – Let’s Elope, Better Loosen Up, Super Impose, Naturalism, Sydeston, Rough Habit, Mannerism. Or 2002 – Grandera, Sunline, Northerly, Fields of Omagh, Lonhro, Bel Esprit, Ustinov.
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99% of fields will look weak when you compare them to the quality assembled in the 1992 Cox Plate. Yes a few of the recent winners are not as highly regarded as others but the Cox Plate honour roll is still a who’s who of the Aussie turf.
I just wish the Aussie owners would stop selling off the farm to Singapore and HK so we could again see a field of real depth and class.
Do you think it is possible that John Moore will bring down Collection and/or Viva Pataca?
I think he should – he’s an Australian trainer. He has two horses who could go close (even Viva Pataca at his age).
And besides, he’s bringing down Beheshtam (or as he’s known now, Carthage) for the Melbourne Cup. So he could bring one down as a partner.
. . .
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