Melbourne Cup nominations released; I Am A Star set for Cockram; Strappers to be rewarded at Hastings;
Melbourne Cup nominations released
The race that stops two nations has attracted 183 nominations for this year’s running, including 11 New Zealand-trained horses.
Nominations for the Gr.1 Melbourne Cup (3200m) were released on Thursday and Cambridge trainers Murray Baker and Andrew Forsman led the New Zealand charge with five entries for the two-mile feature.
They include dual New Zealand Horse of the Year Bonneval, Gr.1 Australian Derby (2400m) winner Jon Snow, Gr.1 New Zealand Derby (2400m) winner Vin de Dance, Group Three winner Highlad, and Gr.1 Sydney Cup (3200m) runner-up Zacada.
Fellow Sydney Cup place-getter Sir Charles Road will also vie for a start for trainers Lance O’Sullivan and Andrew Scott, while Jamie Richards has entered Group Two winners Mongolianconqueror and Our Abbadean, and Melbourne Cup-winning trainer Graeme Rogerson has nominated Surrey, the son of three-time Melbourne Cup winner Makybe Diva.
Meanwhile, Taranaki will have two hopefuls for the race in the form of the Allan Sharrock-trained Ladies First, who won this year’s Gr.1 Auckland Cup (3200m), and the John Wheeler-trained Pentathlon, who finished ninth in the 2016 running of the Melbourne Cup.
I Am A Star set for Cockram
Group One winner I Am A Star is on target for Saturday’s Gr.3 Ladbrokes Cockram Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield.
The New Zealand-bred five-year-old mare finished fourth fresh-up in the Gr.3 Aurie’s Star (1200m) and her trainer Shane Nichols thinks she will take a lot of improvement out of that run.
“She really needed the run in the Aurie’s Star,” Nichols said. “She was just a bit new and blew out a bit, she’s tightened up nice.”
I Am A Star will have to overcome an outside barrier of 17, but Nichols isn’t overly perturbed by the draw.
"My initial thoughts were not good and now I've become a bit more forgiving of the gate. Being in the last race it may not be as bad as first thought,” he said.
"Riding her a bit conservative, and being out in the middle or further out, may not be the worst place to be.”
I Am A Star, who was a $12,000 purchase out of Rich Hill Sud’s 2015 New Zealand Bloodstock May Sale draft, will be ridden by Damien Oliver.
Strappers to be rewarded at Hastings
Strappers preparing horses for the Tarzino Trophy Daffodil Raceday at Hastings on Saturday will have an added incentive, with Al Basti Equiworld Dubai announcing sponsorship of Best Turned Out prizes at the course for the next two years.
Already a successful concept at Riccarton and Trentham, where it is in its second season, the Al Basti Equiworld Dubai Best Turned Out prize rewards dedicated strappers for their efforts with cash prizes.
For each race run at all three venues, prizes of $50 per race on Premier and Feature racedays and $25 per race on Industry and Tier 2 days are given to the best presented strapper and horse combination.
In addition to this, on Saturday Al Basti Equiworld Dubai is committing an extra $50 per race to the New Zealand Cancer Society on behalf of each winning strapper.
“Hawke’s Bay Racing is delighted to partner with Al Basti Equiworld Dubai to recognise those people behind the scenes who are such an important aspect of racedays,” Hawke’s Bay Racing’s chief executive Andrew Castles said.
Al Basti Equiworld Dubai, is the UAE’s leading distributor of horse feeds, supplements and veterinary medicines and is a major supporter of racing in the UAE, USA, UK, Germany and New Zealand.
“Al Basti Equiworld are committed to supporting New Zealand Racing and are delighted to add Hawke’s Bay into our overall New Zealand sponsorship,” said Malih Al Basti, founder and owner of Al Basti Equiworld Dubai.
