The Roger Charlton-trained Quest For More is first reserve for the Caulfield Cup and will be rerouted to the Geelong Cup next Wednesday if there are no withdrawals before the cut-off point on Saturday morning.
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If that is accurate – and watching electronic coverage of their Japanese form it sounds that way – they are the dangers to New Zealand winning its first Caulfield Cup since Ethereal scraped home by a whisker in 2001.
Having finished second with Red Cadeaux in three Melbourne Cups and a Queen Elizabeth Stakes in Sydney, Dunlop’s team were narrowly denied again.
Mongolian Khan also has to overcome history as no Australian Derby victor has returned as a four-year-old to win the Melbourne Cup since Phar Lap in 1930. Even though his record reads eight wins from 13 starts, his best might be in front of him.
“He’s obviously a great chance. But if the pace is quick early Fame Game will love it and can make up the ground quickly off a hot pace”.
“I would expect Hokko courageous to be ahead of Fame Game in the run and has a better sprint over shorter staying trips than Fame Game and will do better in Caulfield Cup than the Melbourne Cup. Admire Rakti won a year ago”, Yabe said. ROYAL DESCENT was superb last start and is clearly going well.
“At that time my dad thinks the Melbourne Cup is a dream”.
Yabe met with Racing Victoria’s worldwide scout Leigh Jordon at the Dubai World Cup in March, but it was only after Hokko Brave’s sixth-place finish in the Tenno Sho (3200m) in Kyoto in May did he seriously consider making the trip down under.
Snow Sky has a light canter at Werribee quarantine centre.
The 35-year-old will partner the Kiwi-bred favourite Mongolian Khan in the $A3 million feature and on Friday he walked the Melbourne course with Brent Thomson, these days New Zealand Bloodstock’s Victorian representative.
Fame Game – The Japanese stayer is a dominant favourite in Melbourne Cup betting, but there has been plenty of speculation that he is too dour for the 2400 metres of the Caulfield Cup and barrier one is no help.
“They’re cheering for the “fairytale five” Caulfield Cups for Ollie, but on a warm spring Saturday at Caulfield it’ll undoubtedly be the bookies who’ll be feeling the heat if he remains this hot”.
Of those, feel HOKKO fearless can run a race with any luck from the barrier.
“We don’t come for fun”, he said.
“From an inside gate I’d be digging her up to hold her spot anyway, but from the outside she will just go forward and end up basically in the same position”.
Craig Williams takes the ride on HOKKO courageous and although he’s been drawn barrier 19, with any luck, this eight-year-old is a definite contender at a decent price.
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David Hayes is thrilled with barrier two for 2014 runner-up Rising Romance and is convinced she’s on target to run well.
