September 1 marked two months exactly to the Melbourne Cup — y’know, the race that stops Australia, and decent chunks of New Zealand too?
So, what do we know about this year’s Melbourne Cup?
Well, unsurprisingly, it is still on the first Tuesday in November, and we also know 124 horses were put forward when the first nominations were revealed on Tuesday.
That’s now down to 123 after the Czech horse Trip To Rhodos was ruled ineligible yesterday due to quarantine restrictions.
No fewer than 26 of those nominations are New Zealand-breds, including our very own (well, White Robe Lodge’s very own) Who Shot Thebarman, who is back for his third crack at the cup.
... all the racing . . .
From a New Zealand-trained perspective, John Wheeler has nominated Pentathlon, Murray Baker and Andrew Forsman have Mime in the mix, and Graeme Sanders has New Zealand Oaks winner Fanatic as his representative.
If you want to have a speculative bet on a horse you saw racing on a premier day at Wingatui last season, Replique is now with Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott — although she’s paying a zesty $301 on the TAB futures market.
... seemed so far away
Throw in the Cox Plate in which Winx is the runaway star attraction, and there’s enough to get excited about for the Spring Carnival.
Tonight also marks the first major step towards the New Zealand Trotting Cup, with the Maurice Holmes Vase at Addington featuring a few cup contenders. Tomorrow’s racing at Riccarton is similar, with some talented types taking to the turf (alliteration overload) for the first time this season.
Double dose
Speaking of Addington, it is a feast or a famine this week with harness racing meetings.
There was no meeting last night, yet Addington and Alexandra Park take each other on tonight.
Auckland Trotting Club racing manager Kevin Smith explained that the Auckland Trotting Club was allotted a Friday night date when the draft calendar was prepared several months back and had taken a booking of around 350 people for a charity function, which could not be moved when the final calendar came out two months ago with the Auckland meeting on a Thursday night.
Lazy Fiver
Tee Cee Bee Macray was far from disgraced at Melton on Sunday, coming from last at the 400m to finish second to Ideal For Real with a staggering sprint.
Never mind.
Geoff Dunn thought Flyingretna was a great chance with the right run in race 10 at Addington tonight and I’m inclined to agree.
