3 minute read

James McDonald; Sir Andrew; The Internationals; Royal Empire; Simenon; Xanadu; Kris Lees

• NOT all spring carnivals go to plan for leading jockeys.

James McDonald, one of the form riders of the carnival, planned to return to ride at Warwick Farm today but has been forced to give up his rides due to issues with his gear being transported back from Melbourne.

The gear went astray somewhere between Tullamarine and Mascot and his worry is now getting the gear back before he rides Savvy Nature in Saturday's Victoria Derby.

McDonald teamed up with his Melbourne Cup ride Voleuse De Coeurs for the first time at Werribee on Tuesday and liked the feel of the Irish St Leger winner.

The mare, imported to join the Mike Moroney stable, walked a alp of the course and then worked at three-quarter pace, finishing off strongly.

“She is a very good moving mare unlike many European horses. I think there won't be any worries with her on top of the ground,” McDonald said.

McDonald's comment about the ground is relevant as the UK view is she will need a wet track to make an impact next Tuesday.

“She would need to improve leaps and bounds to win Australia's great race,” said Kate Miler for leading bookmaker firm William Hill.

“The best of her form has been on rain softened conditions and I believe anything firmer than a Slow 6 will impact considerably on her chances.”

• Kiwi three-year-old Sir Andrew is flying in for a hit and run bid to win the $250,000 Carbine Club Stakes at Flemington on Saturday.

The Hawke's Bay Guineas winner, another mount for James McDonald, is booked to land in Melbourne today, race on Saturday and be flown home to NZ on Sunday.

“Everything's good with him,” said trainer Richard Otto.

“The trip over and the atmosphere on Derby Day will be great for him mentally and there's a lot of improvement in him.”

Otto is using the Melbourne trip as grounding for a Sydney autumn campaign by Sir Andrew when his target will be the $1.5 million Australian Derby at Randwick.

Sir Andrew is raced by John and Margaret Thompson, who have raced a number of outstanding horses from Otto's Te Awamutu stable including G1 winner Sound The Alarm, multiple G1 placegetter Atapi , Geelong Classic winner er Penitentiary and Geelong and Grafton Cups winner Pacific Dancer.

• THERE has been a subtle but very obvious change in the way the top overseas trainers are approaching this year's Melbourne Cup.

It's been common practice in past years for the majority of the international trainers to arrive just a few days before the Cup due to their extensive overseas commitments.

In most years many have had to work their travel arrangements around the Breeders Cup meeting in America but this year things are certainly different.

Luca Cumani and Godolphin's Saeed bin Suroor have been in Melbourne since last weekend, a departure from their normal schedule when they have rarely arrived so early to oversee the preparations of their Cup runners.

Dunaden's French trainer Mikel Delzangles has also given the Melbourne Cup his full attention this year at the expense of the Breeders Cup meeting at Santa Anita. He arrives this week to enjoy a much longer stay than his rushed past visits.

Brown Panther's trainer Tom Dascombe arrives from the UK on Wednesday and Ed Dunlop and French trainer Alain de Royer Dupre will also be in Melbourne well before the weekend.

These world renowned trainers are certainly paying the Melbourne Cup and the spring carnival at large a big compliment.

I dare to say their early presence is an ominous warning for our local hopes on Tuesday.

• THE early arrival of Godolphin head trainer Saeed bin Suroor is the most significant and really backs up the growing view that Royal Empire is the horse that can finally end the stable's Melbourne Cup drought.

Royal Empire, the last of the overseas horses to arrive in Melbourne last week, will be the 15th Godolphin-trained runner in the Melbourne Cup since their first stater Faithful Son finished seventh in 1998.

The Melbourne Cup has become Godolphin's Holy Grail, the world's leading international stable having endured three seconds, with Central Park (1999), Give The Slip (2001) and Crime Scene (2009) and a third with Beekeeper (2002), in their attempt to add the trophy to a long list of worldwide conquests.

With Saeed bin Suroor the trainer from the start, Godolphin has sent horses to the Melbourne carnival every year since 1998 bar 2007 and has had a Cup starter every year bar 2005 to 2008.

"In the past we have brought some nice horses but we didn't have luck with some of them," said Bin Suroor, always reserved in his comments, after his arrival early this week.

"We're hoping for a good result with Royal Empire. He's a class horse with speed and is improving all the time.

'I think he is one of the best chances we have had to win the Melbourne Cup.

"He has a big heart and will fight really well. He has done really well and is starting to be where I want him to be.

There is a lot to like about Royal Empire as he is relatively new to staying distances and already has strong form lines through the likes of the proven international G1 winner Red Cadeaux, beaten a nose to Dunaden in the 2011 Melbourne Cup and a runner again next Tuesday.

In August Royal Empire, the winner of four of his 12 career starts, had his first test beyond 2200m and beat Red Cadeaux by 1.5 lengths in the G3 Geoffrey Freer Stakes over 2670m at Newbury.

Royal Empire has since raced twice over 2414m for seconds in G3 events at Kempton Park and Ascot, carrying up to 6.5kg more than his Melbourne Cup weight of 54kg.

His Cup jockey Kerrin McEvoy has already ridden Royal Empire twice in easy canters at Werribee and will give the son of Teofilo his major piece of work on Thursday.

• CHAMPION UK jockey Richard Hughes would have been delighted to receive reports about his Melbourne Cup mount Simenon's track work at Flemington on Tuesday.

Just a day after Hughes was booked to come from the UK, the Willie Mullins-trained Simenon had his first look at Flemington when he cantered a lap completed with a sharp sprint to the line.

The work impressed track watchers and indicates that Simenon has come on from his third in the Herbert Power Stakes at Caulfield at his Australian debut.

• TRAINER Ken Kelso has found plenty of reasons that point to his G1 winner Xanadu staging a form reversal in Saturday's G1 Myer Classic at Flemington.

Kelso was shocked by Xanadu's career-worst performance when last in the Tristarc Stakes at Caulfield behind Red Tracer but says the mare was in season and wouldn't let go on the firm track.

"It was her first time at Caulfield and the ground was very hard late in the day. She was also in season on the morning of the race,” he said.

“We had her thoroughly checked out by the vet and she's as free as a bird.

"I think the bigger track at Flemington and the step back up to 1600 metres will suit in the Myer, along with a different tempo.”

• GREG Eurell, the trainer who signed for Cox Plate winner Shamus Award when he was sold as a yearling, wasn't the only one to feel anguish over Saturday's upset win by Danny O'Brien's colt last Saturday.

Newcastle trainer Kris Lees could also have had the colt in his stable as he was an under bidder when the Snitzel colt was sold at the Sydney Easter Sale for $230,000.

Lees had good reason to go after the colt at Newmarket as he trained his dam Sunset Express and his late father Max Lees had trained the second and third dams in his pedigree.

"I went to $215,000 for him but pulled out," Lees recalled.

"He was bred by Bob Hannon and we have had plenty of horses for him. I am overjoyed he has bred a Cox Plate winner.”

Lees will get the consolation of training a younger half sister to Shamus Award by Not A Single Doubt bred and owned by Hannon.