A carnival of ups and downs for Godolphin trainer Charlie Appleby’s travelling team from England could yet reap its greatest success with Cross Counter in the Melbourne Cup. While Appleby’s travelling party struck early this spring with Jungle Cat in the Group One Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes in September, there have also been some low […]

A total of 47 horses remain in contention for the Melbourne Cup following second acceptances for the $7 million race at Flemington. Among the 47 are 15 internationally trained horses of which 11 are currently guaranteed a start in the race on November 6. With a safety limit of 24, places are still up for […]

Connections of the appropriately named Thinkin’ Big are doing just that with the talented colt who is favoured to win the Victoria Derby. And if successful in Saturday’s $2 million Victoria Derby at Flemington, the Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott-trained colt could step out in the $7.3 million Melbourne Cupthree days later. “We haven’t given […]

The final group of international contenders scheduled to contest spring carnival features are bound for Melbourne. A group of eight horses, all nominated for the 2018 Melbourne Cup, departed London on Friday morning (AEDT) and are scheduled to arrive in Victoria on Saturday to begin two weeks of post-arrival quarantine at Werribee. Among the horses […]

Avilius has won a start in the Melbourne Cup after surviving a protest to claim The Bart Cummings at Flemington. Success in Saturday’s 2500m handicap gave the winner a ballot exemption into the $7 million Melbourne Cup 2018 on November 6. A protest was lodged by Michael Walker, rider of the runner-up Jaameh, for alleged […]

Classy European stayer Torcedor is out of Melbourne Cup contention after spiking a temperature. Nine horses entered quarantine in England and Ireland overnight but the Andreas Wohler-trained Torcedor did not enter quarantine in Europe, meaning he will not be travelling to Melbourne for this year’s Cup. The Willie Mullins-trained Max Dynamite, who finished second in […]

In a year in which he has ticked off the Epsom Derby with Masar, UK-based trainer Charlie Appleby is striving to claim a Melbourne Cup for Godolphin. Appleby arrived in Melbourne on Friday morning to watch Jungle Cat and Folkswood run in feature races at Caulfield on Saturday. The two are the first of Appleby’s […]

Trainer Mike Moroney has Caulfield Cup ambitions for Vengeur Masque but fears the stayer may fail to make the final field. A poor draw in Saturday’s Naturalism Stakes at Caulfield hasn’t made the task to win a ballot exemption into the 2018 Caulfield Cup any easier. The winner of Saturday’s race gets a free pass into the 2400m-handicap on […]

Progressive imported stayer Avilius will not run in the Metropolitan Handicap at Randwick with Godolphin to instead aim him at the Melbourne Cup via the Bart Cummings. Avilius, who has won all three of his Australian starts including Saturday’s Group Three Kingston Town Stakes (2000m), was the 2.80 favourite for the Metropolitan (2400m) on September 29. […]

After discussions with jockey Damien Oliver and Grunt’s owners, trainer Mick Price plans to keep the Makybe Diva Stakes winner to a weight-for-age program this spring. Price had considered aiming Grunt at the Cups after Saturday’s Group One win at Flemington but the trainer confirmed on RSN927 on Monday the intention to head towards the […]