TRY TO COME TO TERMS WITH POOR EFFORTS IN CAULFIELD CUP
STILL trying to come to terms with their poor showings in Saturday’s BMW Caulfield Cup, the Godolphin and Luca Cumani stables are now switching their attention to Wednesday’s
centrebet.com Geelong Cup (2400m).
Instead of being the second stringers, Crime Scene (Godolphin) and Basaltico (Cumani) are now
the hopes of the side after below par performances by headline acts Kirklees (Godolphin) and
Cima De Triomphe (Cumani) in the Caulfield Cup.
Cups after last year’s win by Bauer, had easy workouts this morning after having their final gallops
on Saturday.
Win or lose at Geelong both horses are likely to make the final field for the $5.5m Emirates
Melbourne Cup to be run at Flemington on 3 November.
Sara Cumani said they were happy with way Basaltico was going, but added it was hard to go into
the Geelong Cup with any degree of confidence after Saturday’s failure by Cima de Triomphe.
“We just can’t explain what went wrong,” she said.
Charlie Henson, assistant trainer to Luca Cumani, said the horse’s effort was his worst in five runs
since joining the stable early this year.
“Damien (Oliver) said the track might have been a bit soft for him but that’s only looking for
excuses because I walked it at 2pm and I thought the going was fine,” Henson said.
“He just didn’t perform anywhere near as well as we know he can.”
Cima De Triomphe was on the track this morning and at this stage is likely to run in the Group 1
$750,000 Mackinnon Stakes (2000m) at Flemington on Saturday week, 31 October.
A top three placing in the Mackinnon would guarantee him a run in the Melbourne Cup as it passes the ballot clause, but Sara Cumani said it was unlikely he would back-up three days later.
Kirklees did not go out on the track this morning and Godolphin’s travelling foreman Tommy Strang
said he would have a couple of quiet days in the stable.
“We’re just concentrating on the Geelong Cup at the moment,” he said.
In other news, David Hayes will make up his mind on immediate plans for Changingoftheguard
after a gallop at Sandown on Thursday.
Glen Boss rode the former Aidan O’Brien-trained stayer in an easy 2000 metres in just under even
time on Saturday and he had a similar hitout yesterday.
Hayes has arranged a strong gallop on Thursday with the Herman Brown-trained stablemates
Bankable and Mourilyan who have looked impressive in the week they have been in Melbourne.
“They will go a mile (1600m) and come home the last three (600m),” Hayes said. “That will decide
whether we step up his preparation for the Melbourne Cup, concentrate on the Mackinnon (on
Derby Day), or send him for a spell.”
Hayes said Changingoftheguard had put on 20kgs since his arrival in Melbourne and he was really
pleased with his condition.
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