By ROY ASPINALL
THOROUGHBRED racing around the world is focusing its collective eyes on Melbourne as this Saturday heralds the start of the 2012 BMW Caulfield Cup Carnival.
The greatest thoroughbred racing festival in the world is about to begin.
The Victorian Spring Racing Carnival covers eight consecutive weekends of elite group 1 racing in Melbourne, starting at Caulfield and concluding at Ballarat on November 25. That’s 65 race days and a record 115 race meetings.
About 650,000 people are expected to enjoy a day at the races during this year’s carnival, and on offer are more than $50 million in prizemoney and some of the world’s most coveted races.
It will feature the biggest influx of overseas contenders, with the first 16 international raiders having arrived on September 29.
Major interest, however, begins this Saturday with BECK Caulfield Guineas Day and extends through until Sportingbet Sandown Guineas Day at Sandown on Saturday, November 17.
Among the international invasion on September 29, and now at the Werribee International Horse Centre, are the past two winners of the Melbourne Cup — Americain (2010), part owned by Dandenong sporting and business identity Gerry Ryan, and Dunaden (2011).
They are joined by the current Melbourne Cup favourite, Mount Athos, trained by Luca Cumani, who has already trained two second place getters in the race that stops the nation.
Traditionally, the Caulfield Guineas (1600 metres), first run in 1881, is one of the most exciting events of the spring as, for the first time, it brings together the nation’s best three year olds over a competitive distance.
This year promises to be one of the best with the clash of the Pierro, unbeaten in eight starts and Epaulette, the half brother to last year’s winner Helmet, now racing in England. Epaulette was an impressive winner of the Caulfield Guineas Prelude on September 30. Albrecht, Ashokan, Shamexpress and All Too Hard are also definite contenders.
Trained by Gai Waterhouse, Pierro is being aimed at the $3 million Cox Plate at Moonee Valley on October 27 , when he will clash with stablemate More Joyous, who many consider the best horse now racing in Australia.
More Joyous will complete her Cox Plate preparation when she runs in Saturday’s $402,000 David Jones Rose Clinic Toorak Handicap (1600 metres) at Caulfield.
Guineas Day is one of the great race days of the spring and a wonderful entree for what is to come.
The Spring Racing Carnival reaches a crescendo on November 17 with Sportingbet Sandown Guineas Day on Sandown’s Hillside track.
For all the latest breaking news, stay with this website. Also, follow the Weekly at facebook.com/greaterdandenongweekly or on Twitter @DandenongWeekly.
