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20.
Final
preparations for Melbourne Cup foreign raiders
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03/11/2002 |
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Track
watchers at Sandown on Sunday morning had their concerns about one time Group 1
Tooheys New Melbourne Cup favourite Vinnie Roe.
The Dermot Weld-trained entire has headed next Tuesday's markets since handicaps
were released in early September but their were worried faces after Vinnie Roe
left the track following one lap of walking and trotting.
"We decided to just change it around a bit this morning," Weld said.
"He just went for a trot to try to get him to eat a bit better and to put
on a bit more weight."
Weld has been concerned about the lack of weight Vinnie Roe has put on since
arriving in Australia almost five week ago, but said he was looking a bit
healthier.
"He's just been a bit slow coming to hand," Weld said. "He didn't
acclimatise quickly and lost weight. He looked a little staid in his coat on
Thursday but he is picking up and I was much happier with him this morning. He's
a fit horse, a clean winded horse and we're trying to keep an edge on him
mentally.
"He's perfect in every way. He's brightened up in his coat in the last
couple of days and I'm much happier with the horse than before," he said.
While Vinnie Roe has been causing Weld concern, Media Puzzle continues to cope
with anything dished up.
This morning Media Puzzle worked off from the 1600 metre mark, running 1200
metres in 1.19.5, coming home the last 400 metres in 23.75 seconds.
Weld said Media Puzzle's progress had gone smoothly. The Geelong Cup winner has
continued to shorten with bookmakers and is sharing the top line with Godolphin
pair Pugin and Beekeeper.
"Media Puzzle has adapted quickly and performed well at Geelong," Weld
said. "I'm satisfied with his progress and he goes into the race with a
good chance."
It has generally been regarded as the year of the international runners for this
year's Melbourne Cup, but Weld said the local runners cannot be discarded.
"I think we all have to respect the local horses as well," he said.
"The year Vintage Crop won, Te Akau Nick ran a strong race. It might have
been hard to predict before (the race). There's bound to be a local horse run a
big race. Luck in running is going to play a big part. I think it's a very open
race," Weld said.
Asked to nominate the dangers to his pair - which by the way he couldn't split -
Weld said Pugin was very well handicapped and Daliapour was at generous odds.
Trainer Sir Michael Stoute said Daliapour was at a generous price. "He's a
horse with very good form to his credit, but I think Dermot's trying to get the
focus off Vinnie Roe," he said. "He's better value than the England
cricket team."
Daliapour had two gallops at Sandown this morning, running the last 800 metres
of his second hitout in 51.5 seconds, the last 400 metres in 24.5 seconds.
Stoute has been happy with Daliapour since his arrival in Australia on Thursday.
"He's settled in well," Stoute said. "He's really relaxed. In his
three weeks here he's fairly enjoyed it."
Stoute doesn't believe Daliapour is racing as well as when second in the Epsom
Derby and the Irish Derby as a three-year-old or as well as when successful in
Hong Kong back in December 2000.
"He's not as good as he was a couple of years ago but he still can be very
competitive in the Melbourne Cup," Stoute said.
Jardine's Lookout rounded off his preparation walking a lap of Sandown before
galloping over 1000 metres in 1.06.25, the last 400 metres in 25 seconds.
Trainer Alan Jarvis said he was happy with the condition of Jardine's Lookout
going into Tuesday's race. "He looks as well as he's been all year,"
Jarvis said. "He's good in the coat, he's settled in, travelled well. I'm
about as confident as can be."
Jarvis thought Daliapour may be his biggest danger. "I've been watching
this quietly and I think the dark horse is Daliapour," he said.
The Godolphin runners in the Group 1 Tooheys New Melbourne Cup, 3200 metres, at
Flemington on Tuesday were given a canter over 1600 metres to wind up their
preparation.
Godolphin will be represented by Pugin, Beekeeper and Hatha Anna and all looked
in good shape as they completed their work. Trainer Saeed Bin Suroor said that
he could not be happier with how the trio have prepared for Tuesday's Melbourne
Cup.
"I'm really happy how the horses have settled in and the way they have
trained," Suroor said. "They look to be in good form."
The trio all drew awkwardly in the 24 horse field but Suroor was not concerned.
Told that wide barrier draws in the past have not hindered horses, Suroor said
there was ample time for horses to find a spot.
"It's a two mile race and I'm not really worried about the draw," he
said. "I let Frankie (Dettori) choose the draw for Pugin because I didn't
want him to complain. Some previous winners have come from out wide so I don't
see it as a disadvantage," he said.
While Pugin remains the top pick of the Godolphin team - he has Dettori on board
and it was his pick - Suroor maintains the lightly-raced Beekeeper will prove
hard to beat.
He's been greatly impressed by the entires progress since arriving in Australia
on Tuesday following the Breeders Cup meeting in Chicago.
"We took over Pugin after he ran second in the Irish St. Leger and he looks
in good form, but Beekeeper has come along well," Suroor said.
"When he won at Doncaster he was only about 80% right but we decided to
send him to Australia as we thought he was the right type of horse for the
Melbourne Cup. Since I arrived from America he looks a different horse and he's
improved a lot since the Caulfield Cup," Suroor said.
Beekeeper is the only one of the three Godolphin Melbourne Cup runners to race
in Australia since their arrival almost five weeks ago, finishing a luckless
sixth behind Northerly in the Group 1 Caulfield Cup, 2400 metres, on October 16.
Hatha Anna is the only one of the trio to have had experience at Flemington. He
was a travelling companion for last year's team and was successful in the Group
2 Queen Elizabeth Stakes, 2500 metres, on the final day of the Flemington
carnival.
Tooheys New Melbourne Cup (Group 1) 2m
Number Horse Jockey Trainer Weight Draw
1 VINNIE ROE (IRE) Patrick Smullen Dermot Weld 59kg 7
2 JARDINES LOOKOUT (IRE) Patrick Payne Alan Jarvis 56kg 19
3 DALIAPOUR (IRE) Michael Kinane Michael Stoute 55.5kg 1
4 SANDMASON (GB) Steven Arnold Tony McEvoy 55.5kg 13
5 HELENE VITALITY (NZ) Gerald Mosse David Hayes 54.5kg 17
6 HATHA ANNA Richard Hills Saeed Bin Suroor 54kg 22
7 FREEMASON Darren Gauci John Hawkes 53.5kg 11
8 MAGUIRE (NZ) Danny Nikolic Jon Collins 53.5kg 8
9 PUGIN (IRE) Frankie Dettori Saeed Bin Suroor 53.5kg 15
10 RAIN GAUGE Greg Childs George Hanlon 53.5kg 14
11 BEEKEEPER (GB) Kerrin McEvoy Saeed Bin Suroor 53kg 20
12 COUNTY TYRONE Jim Cassidy Max Leeds 52.5kg 9
13 HAIL (NZ) Noel Harris Bruce Marsh 52.5kg 16
14 MEDIA PUZZLE (USA) Dermot Weld Damien Oliver 52.5kg (1.5) 3
15 MR PRUDENT Corey Brown George Hanlon 52kg 4
16 PENTASTIC Glen Boss David Hall 52kg 6
17 PRIZED GEM (NZ) Michael Rodd Murray Baker 52kg 24
18 VICTORY SMILE (NZ) Danny Beasley Donna Logan 52 (1.5)kg 2
19 CYCLADES (NZ) Scott Seamer Cydne Evans 51.5kg 5
20 DISTINCTLY SECRET (NZ) Steven King Mark Walker 51.5kg 18
21 GREY SONG Chris Munce Tommy Hughes 51kg 23
22 THONG CLASSIC Brett Prebble Pat Carey 51kg 21
23 MISS MELISS (NZ) Craig Newitt (a) Bart Cummings 49kg 10
24 REQUIEM Craig Williams Tony McEvoy 49kg 12
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