by With less than three weeks to go before the Lexus Melbourne Cup, several key contenders are trying to emulate last year’s winner Without A Fight by winning it Group 1 Caulfield Cup before winning Australia’s biggest race.
Without A Fight got the better of West Wind Blows in the Caulfield Cup last year and went on to beat an impressive Melbourne Cup winner over half a mile away.
Not everyone competing at Caulfield, ten miles southeast of Flemington racecourse, will return for the Melbourne Cup, but Saturday runners Land Legend, Warmonger and Zardozi are among the better-rated home contenders behind Irish hopes Vauban, Absurde and Jan Brueghel.
Country legend began his career in the UK for James Ferguson before owner Boniface Ho moved him to Australia last year. The four-year-old narrowly defeated Zardozi in the Group 1 Metropolitan Handicap last time out.
Zardozi will partner Andrea Atzeni for the first time on Saturday and trainer James Cummings said: “There is no doubt that she is the most promising young stander in our stable and our only Melbourne Cup nomination.” She’s not a big mare, though What she lacks in stride length, she makes up for in heart. She’s going to need some heart if she wants to beat some of these tougher, more experienced imported European stayers.
“We saw Andrea win the Sydney Cup on Circle Of Fire and he won an Ebor. A rider with soft hands, who has the European style of riding and could suit a horse like her, could be a kind of weapon.”
Andrea Atzeni: Riding in the Caulfield CupCredit: Edward Whitaker
Other notable former European runners who will compete in the Caulfield Cup include BuckarooSuccessful in the Group 1 Underwood Stakes last month, Derby fifth Sayedaty sadaty, Fire circle And Duke De Sessa.
The Caulfield Cup is one of three Group 1 games taking place on Saturday. Randwick in Sydney hosts the A$20 million (£10.3m/€12.3m) King Charles III Stakes and Everest.
This year’s running of Everest will be the first in Group 1 after it was controversially upgraded unilaterally by Australian racing authorities due to a competition over conditions. However, the move was part of a proposed series of changes to raise the classification of more than 80 races in the country FEars were expressed that Australia could be downgraded from the International Stud Book to Book 2 status if upgrades were made without appropriate approval.
Giga kickWinner of the race in 2022, is, as is, among the 12 runners traffic policemanwhose partner will be Jamie Kah.
“We couldn’t have him better, he’s consciously prepared for Everest,” said James Cummings. “Jamie was delighted with the way he cantered on Tuesday and said he felt great. I didn’t see the horse getting any better.”
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