Mornington Cup winner Norsqui will not use his ballot-free automatic entry into the Caulfield Cup (2400m) with the six-year-old set to head home to Tasmania for a spell One of four horses exempt from the elimination order alongside last year's winner Southern Speed, Naturalism Stakes winner Folding Gear and yesterday's Turnbull Stakes victor Green Moon, the decision by Norsqui's trainer Walter McShane to not press on to the Cup is potentially welcome news to connections of runners on the cusp of
Mornington Cup winner Norsqui will not use his ballot-free automatic entry into the Caulfield Cup (2400m) with the six-year-old set to head home to Tasmania for a spell One of four horses exempt from the elimination order alongside last year's winner Southern Speed, Naturalism Stakes winner Folding Gear and yesterday's Turnbull Stakes victor Green Moon, the decision by Norsqui's trainer Walter McShane to not press on to the Cup is potentially welcome news to connections of runners on the cusp of gaining a run. Guaranteed a start in the race thanks to his ballot beating win in the Mornington Cup in February, McShane wasn't tempted by the fact his horse would drop to only 50.5kgs in the Caulfield Cup saying he didn't have an excuse for the horses poor performance in the Bart Cummings (2520m) at Flemington.
With 2007 Melbourne Cup winner Efficient succumbing to injury last week and subsequently retired, Australian Derby runner-up Polish Knight suffering a bleeding attack and the David Vandyke trained Lamasery afflicted by a reoccurrence of his arthritic joint injury, the attrition rate in the Caulfield Cup order of entry is suddenly starting to grow. Yesterday's Turnbull Stakes winner Green Moon will almost certainly bypass the Caulfield Cup in favour of the Cox Plate (2040m), while question marks remain over whether Manighar, Shoot Out, Mawingo, Secret Admirer and Linton will take their place in the race potentially opening the ballot right up for those down in the weights. Conversely, three horses will be afforded automatic entry into the Cup following next Saturday's meeting at Caulfield with the winners of the Hebert Power Stakes (2400m), Caulfield Stakes (2000m) and Toorak Handicap (1600m) all exempt from the Caulfield Cup ballot.
Godolphin will bring two horses for the Melbourne Cup - Lost in the Moment and Cavalryman entered quarantine overnight. Racing Victoria's International Officer Leigh Jordon says Cavalryman is a particularly interesting runner. He says: "As a three year old he ran third in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe behind See the Stars...Lost in the Moment ran sixth in last year's Melbourne Cup and returns a year older in good form...Godolphin's been bringing horses since 1998 and have been great supporters of our Spring Racing Carnival, you never know this might be there year."
Olivier Peslier ended a 14-year wait for a fourth Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe in very unlikely fashion as the unfancied filly Solemia induced more Japanese heartbreak at Longchamp. The French jockey dominated the European showpiece on three consecutive occasions in the late 90s and his enduring prowess around the famous Parisian course means he joins only Jacques Doyasbere, Freddie Head, Yves Saint-Martin and Pat Eddery as a quadruple winner. Christophe Soumillon must have felt the Arc would be his for a third time when launching Orfevre into a commanding lead approaching the final furlong, only to find Peslier galvanising the Carlos Laffon-Parias-trained 33-1 shot Solemia on his outside and snatching victory away on the line.