By Mark Scully

   

Leading Australian rider Craig Williams has been booked to partner the Hugo Palmer-trained Wall Of Fire in next month’s Emirates Melbourne Cup.

Wall Of Fire finished second under Mark Zahra in the Group 2 Herbert Power Stakes, a leading trial for the Flemington showpiece, and it had previously been reported that Tommy Berry had been lined up by Melbourne-based part-owner Aziz Kheir to take the ride in the big race on November 7.

Palmer had also suggested the ownership group could have given Josephine Gordon the opportunity, but it is Williams who has got the final nod and the trainer is happy with the decision.

“The owners over there have their fingers much closer to the pulse of Australian racing and had a choice of four jockeys, of which Tommy Berry was one,” Palmer explained on Wednesday.

“In the end they were keen to go with Craig Williams. He’s an established Group 1 rider and has a pretty phenomenal record overall.”

Rob Archibald is Palmer’s travelling foreman in Melbourne and the trainer has been delighted with the reports he has been receiving since Wall Of Fire’s Herbert Power outing.

“I couldn’t be happier with him at the moment after that run,” said Palmer. “I did feel he might struggle to improve but he seems to have done so and appears in fantastic form.

“Rob’s been riding him every day and says he’s feeling better and better in himself. We just have a nervous week or so now of keeping him in one piece going into the Cup.”

Positive update

There had been fears regarding the wellbeing of Palmer’s other Australian raider, Mask Of Time, after he pulled up with what appeared to be a serious injury following a piece of work with Wall Of Fire at Werribee this week.

Palmer reported that Mask Of Time appeared to have avoided any career or life-threatening injuries but admitted his short-term racing future is being debated.

“At this stage I don’t know whether he’ll race this spring, that’s yet to be decided,” said Palmer. “He burst a blood vessel in his knee, which is a very rare injury and not something I’ve dealt with before.

“There seems to be a difference of opinions about whether we push on with him now or give him a break, but certainly in the medium term he’s going to be absolutely fine, and it shouldn’t affect him going forward.”

fonte : RacingPost