LUNEDÌ 2 NOVEMBRE 2015Martedì mattina la Melbourne Cup G1, molta influenza europea in una corsa con un favorito Giapponese
Emirates Melbourne Cup Day
Emirates Melbourne Cup Day sits at the pinnacle of the Australian racing calendar and is the focal point of the Melbourne Cup Carnival. There’s nothing like being there amongst the 100,000 plus crowd to experience the day that puts Australia firmly in the international sporting spotlight.
Trainers from around the world set their sights on the Emirates Melbourne Cup, a race widely considered to be the best staying handicap in the world. Over 3200 metres, the Emirates Melbourne Cup offers the richest prize in Australian sport and a 18ct solid gold Hardy Brothers trophy valued at $175,000. With such significant international standing, the anticipation of history in the making creates the electric atmosphere that is ‘the race that stops a nation’.™
As the jewel in the Melbourne Cup Carnival crown, this iconic day is a heady mix of revelry, spectacular racing and fashion, and exquisite hospitality and entertainment, making it an unmissable sporting and cultural event.
The official flower for Emirates Melbourne Cup Day is the yellow rose and can be purchased from flower sellers near the entrances, upon arrival to Flemington.
On release, details for nomination, handicap weights and acceptances can be found below.
Partenti
2 CRITERION – M Walker 4 – 57.5kg
3 FAME GAME – Z Purton 12 – 57kg
4 OUR IVANHOWE – B Melham 22 – 56kg
5 BIG ORANGE – J Spencer 23 – 55.5kg
6 HARTNELL – J McDonald 17 – 55.5kg
7 HOKKO BRAVE – C Williams 20 – 55.5kg
8 MAX DYNAMITE – F Dettori 2 – 55kg
9 RED CADEAUX – G Mosse 8 – 55kg
10 TRIP TO PARIS – T Berry 14 – 55kg
11 WHO SHOT THEBARMAN – B Shinn 6 – 54.5kg
12 SKY HUNTER – W Buick 7 – 54kg
13 THE OFFER – D Oliver 13 – 54kg
14 GRAND MARSHAL – J Cassidy 15 – 53.5kg
15 PREFERMENT – H Bowman 11 – 53.5kg
16 QUEST FOR MORE – D Lane 21 – 53.5kg
17 ALMOONQITH – D Dunn 10 – 53kg
18 KINGFISHER – C O’Donoghue 9 – 53kg
19 PRINCE OF PENZANCE – M Payne 1 – 53kg
20 BONDI BEACH – B Prebble 18 – 52.5kg
21 SERTORIUS – C Newitt 5 – 52.5kg
22 THE UNITED STATES – J Moreira 3 – 52.5kg
23 EXCESS KNOWLEDGE – KMcEvoy 24 – 51kg
24 GUST OF WIND – C Schofield 19 – 51kg
Max Dynamite won the Lonsdale Cup earlier in the season
PICTURE: Edward Whitaker (racingpost.com/photos)
Fish out of water Ricci chasing Melbourne glory
Preview: Australia, Tuesday
Flemington: Emirates Melbourne Cup (Group 1 handicap)3yo+ 2m
RICH RICCI is no stranger to big-race success but finds himself in alien territory as Max Dynamite bids to give the prolific owner of top-class jumps horses, victory in one of Flat racing’s most iconic races.
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Having a Melbourne Cup contender has certainly taken the Cheltenham Festival-winning owner out of his comfort zone, although he is doing his best to get into the Spring Carnival atmosphere.
“I feel a bit detached,” he said. “Obviously I’m in the cut and thrust of jump racing every day. You feel the ups and downs, you know what you’re doing and you have a sense of the other horses. I don’t have that here so it’s at bit arm’s length.
“Clearly it’s a treat to be here and it would be a dream come true to win but I’m not quite sure how I feel. It’s unusual but I’m enjoying it I have to say.”
Max Dynamite was purchased from the Flat to excel over jumps but wherever his future lies, Ricci is confident the best is yet to come.
He said: “He ran a brilliant race in the Northumberland Plate, which was quite soft ground and he was drawn horribly out wide but still finished second. We thought it was worth taking another punt on the Flat and thought we’d run in the Lonsdale Cup but in-between that we ran in the Galway Hurdle, which is an unusual prep for these staying races but he ran a very good race in second, then won decisively at York.
“He’s now rated 118 at home on the Flat but I don’t think we’ve seen the best of him yet.”
‘Willie is a magician’
Ricci thinks Willie Mullins’ previous Melbourne Cup experience is a huge bonus for Max Dynamite and spoke with the highest regard for Ireland’s champion jumps trainer.
He added: “What I love about Willie is one, he’s an intelligent man and two, he’s hungry and anxious to learn. So when he had Holy Orders here years ago and Simenon a couple of years back, he’d have banked all of that knowledge. So coming out here he would have known exactly what he wanted his team here to do prior to the run, from the work to the bloods. Willie is a magician and the horse had a great preparation.”
Max Dynamite ridden by Frankie Dettori, is one of three runners from Ireland, with Aidan O’Brien responsible for Gold Cup runner-up Kingfisher and St Leger second Bondi Beach.
Colm O’Donoghue rides Kingfisher and said: “He’s relaxed, handles the ground and also has the experience. He was second in an Irish Derby, so has tactical speed and I think you need that.”
Brett Prebble rides Bondi Beach, although O’Donoghue was aboard at Doncaster last time and said of his chance: “He’s very good. He’s an improving three-year-old with great from coming into the race. I suppose the only thing is he’s inexperienced but he’s got a lot of good credentials and has the ability.”
Max Dynamite is shortest of the trio in the market at a best-price 10-1 with Bondi Beach available at 20-1 and Kingfisher at 25-1.
A strong European challenge for the race is headlined by Trip To Paris, while stablemate and three-time runner-up Red Cadeaux is a 25-1 to land victory.
