By ROY ASPINALL
TUESDAY’S 153rd running of the Group 1 $6,200,000 Emirates Melbourne Cup (3200m) at Flemington marks 20 years since Vintage Crop started the influx of internationally-trained contestants and the intrigue only gets greater.
The very fact that most of the visitors will not have raced here prior to Tuesday builds on the intrigue – have they acclimatised, will they handle the different style of racing and, most importantly, does their overseas form measure up to the locals?
To make it all the more interesting the race is shaping as a battle between leviathan owner, Lloyd Williams, and the might of the visitors. Lloyd Williams, seeking his fifth win in the Emirates Melbourne Cup having won with Just A Dash (1971), What A Nuisance (1985), Efficient (2007) and Green Moon last spring, will become the first owner to have six runners in the great race, providing him with one quarter of the field.
A change to original plans will see the BMW Caulfield Cup winner, Fawkner, take his place along with last year’s winner Green Moon, Herbert Power Handicap winner, Sea Moon, Mourayan, Seville and Masked Marvel. Speaking on behalf of ‘Team Williams’, Nick Williams, Lloyd’s son, said, “All six have done well and are ready for the race”.
Whilst around 100,000 will be at Flemington on Tuesday Lloyd Williams will be watching from his ‘private grandstand’ which also doubles as his sofa in his lounge room.
Ratings suggest that Sea Moon, who has raced here twice, is one of the best thoroughbreds to come from Europe and ran a solid eighth to Solemia in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe in Paris last October before joining the Williams stable. He was very impressive winning the Herbert Power Handicap on the opening day of the BMW Caulfield Cup Carnival and has done well at Macedon Lodge.
There is a formidable group of visitors to take on Team Williams with nine overseas-trained performers and two other visitors who are now prepared by Australian trainers but are yet to race here.
Should Mount Athos win it will be a first for both trainer and jockey. Italian-born, UK-based trainer Luca Cumani is a familiar face in Melbourne during the spring as he continues to strive for Cup success. Twice he has had to settle for second with Purple Moon in 2007 and Bauer in 2008. He was back last year with Mount Athos, who finished fifth behind Green Moon. To be ridden by Craig Williams, Mount Athos had his final serious hit out at the International Horse Centre at Werribee last Wednesday.
“I was really happy today. Yesterday was all about getting a feel of the horse and how he moves running behind another horse (lead pony) but this morning was all about his engine,” Williams said after track work.
The 2011 victor and 2012 BMW Caulfield Cup winner, Dunaden, returns as well as Red Cadeaux on his third visit after a second in 2011 and eighth last year. Brown Panther, part-owned and bred by former England, Liverpool, Manchester United and Real Madrid soccer star, Michael Owen has a big reputation. Dandino was an impressive second in the BMW Caulfield Cup at his only run here. Ruscello staked his claim with an all-the-way win in Saturday’s Lexus Stakes.
The Aga Khan has the lightly raced five-year-old mare, Verema, winner of the Group 1 Prix de Kergolay, in August – the same race that Americain won on his way to the 2010 Melbourne Cup – and the Godolphin stable will be represented by Royal Empire while Simenon from the Willie Mullins yard looked good when third to Sea Moon in the Herbert Power Handicap.
The other two overseas horses are Voleuse De Coeurs who has joined the Michael Moroney stable and Tres Blue, having his first start for Gai Waterhouse. Last year Waterhouse was in the same situation with Fiorente who ran second to Green Moon and will be one of the main chances 12 months on. Chris Waller-trained, Hawkspur does look the strongest of the local chances.
Whilst most interest centres on Tuesday it must be remembered that Thursday sees the running of the $1,005,000 Group 1 Crown Oaks (2500m) and on Saturday there is the $1,002,500 Group 1 Patinack Farm Classic (1200m) and the $1,005,000 Group 1 Emirates Stakes (1200m) plus the $301,500 Group 3 Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2600m) which is likely to feature runners who missed out on making the field for the Melbourne Cup.
