Latest news with #MelbourneSpringCarnival
News.com.au
2 days ago
- Sport
- News.com.au
Dual Melbourne Cup and Cox Plate-winner Joseph O'Brien eyes Caulfield Cup raid, as talks advance
Racing Victoria has advanced talks with potential Melbourne Spring Carnival international raiders. European challengers from Ireland and France nominated for the Caulfield Cup and Cox Plate must pass vet checks in coming weeks to enter UK quarantine on September 11. The first international flight is scheduled to land in Melbourne on AFL Grand Final weekend before a mandatory 14-day quarantine at Werribee. Any Japanese horses, including Caulfield Cup-nominated Golden Snap, arrive at Werribee on the Monday after the AFL Grand Final. The Caulfield Cup attracted 12 international entries when nominations closed last Tuesday, while the Cox Plate received 11. Melbourne Cup nominations close next month. RV head of racing Paul Bloodworth has 'firmer commitments' from trainers of about 'four or five' horses being aimed at Melbourne spring majors. Bloodworth, long-time RV international recruiter, said Irish trainer Joseph O'Brien boasted a strong hand overall but in particular the Caulfield Cup with Trustyourinstinct. O'Brien, son of Aidan, has won Melbourne Cup twice (Rekindling, 2017, and Twilight Payment, 2020) and the Cox Plate (State Of Rest, 2021). 'It's great Joseph is very keen to bring horses back,' Bloodworth said. 'He's got a couple perfectly suited horses (for the Caulfield Cup) … I wondered whether or not part of his thinking is he wants the trifecta of the big three in Melbourne. 'A lot more to it, the horse has got to travel, settle in and be in good form but on paper, a horse like Trustyourinstinct is exactly the type of (Caulfield Cup) horse you want. 'Relatively unexposed still, going to be in the middle of the weights, coming in off good form, a good record at mile and a half (2400m) … he ticks a lot of boxes. 'It looks like Joseph has got the right horse on his hands to be a chance at the Caulfield Cup.' The classy Trustyourinstinct has good form at Irish Flat headquarters and proves a ready winner of the @ABE_Dubai International Stakes In Honour Of Kevin Prendergast @curraghrace @JosephOBrien2 | @DylanBrowneMcM — Racing TV (@RacingTV) June 28, 2025 Trustyourinstinct is $26 in all-in Caulfield Cup markets. O'Brien has Al Riffa, Galen and Sons And Lovers also nominated for the Caulfield Cup. Sons And Lovers boosted Melbourne Cup credentials with a 2414m Group 3 win in Ireland last week. Bloodworth welcomed the continued spring carnival support of Aidan O'Brien. 'I'm very pleased Aidan entered some horses in the Cox Plate and Caulfield Cup,' Bloodworth said. 'Whirl is one of the best fillies in Europe and would be super competitive in a Cox Plate.' O'Brien has travelled star mares to Australia previously, with Magic Wand victorious at Flemington in the 2019 Group 1 Mackinnon Stakes. O'Brien nominations include sole Caulfield Cup candidate Mount Kilimanjaro and Cox Plate hopefuls Whirl, Bedtime Story and Diego Velazquez. 'I'm intrigued to see where we go with Aidan,' Bloodworth said. 'It's fantastic he's supported the carnival with some entries and we'll do our best to encourage him to come.' O'Brien was disappointed last year after RV stewards, acting on veterinary advice, deemed then favourite Jan Brueghel unsuitable to race in the Melbourne Cup. 'I don't think there's any denying they'd still be frustrated with what happened last year,' Bloodworth said. 'But they're a very professional organisation and moved on sufficiently to have horses identified for Melbourne.' Likely European contenders include Meydaan, trained by Simon and Ed Crisford, and Allesandro Botti-prepared Presage Nocturne. Travel plans could be shored up after their next starts in England and France respectively. Golden Snap, a Japanese mare trained by Katsunori Tanaka, is also Caulfield Cup bound. 'It's pretty firm to come, she's a talented mare, going to be lightly weighted in both Cups and has got some good form against the best stayers in Japan,' Bloodworth said.
The Australian
6 days ago
- Sport
- The Australian
Treasurethe Moment targets Spring glory in Caulfield Cup campaign
Trainer Matt Laurie is excited to unleash Caulfield Cup-nominated Group 1 star Treasurethe Moment against Australia's best equine talent in the Melbourne spring carnival. Treasurethe Moment, set to jumpout at Mornington on Wednesday, 'achieved everything we set her for' last season, with three Group 1 wins including Oaks in Melbourne and Sydney. 'Hopefully she can continue on and we'll be able to nail a Group 1 against the older bracket,' Laurie said. • PUNT LIKE A PRO: Become a Racenet iQ member and get expert tips – with fully transparent return on investment statistics – from Racenet's team of professional punters at our Pro Tips section. SUBSCRIBE NOW! 'She's got such a great win record, it's going to be very interesting to see how she handles herself against this next lot of opposition.' Treasurethe Moment will audition for the Caulfield Cup or Cox Plate with Group 1 performances in the Memsie Stakes, Makybe Diva Stakes and Turnbull Stakes. 'She's a star and I'm looking forward to the next preparation,' Laurie said. 'We placed her to win (three-year-old fillies Group 1 targets) and she delivered and we're obviously here to carry on winning but we have to be a bit realistic about it. Treasurethe Moment winning the Australian Oaks. Picture: Getty Images 'We're going to be coming up against some wonderful horses, so we'll see where we stand. 'She's going to have to take some big steps but she looks like the horse that might be capable of doing it.' Treasurethe Moment cut a striking figure on Tuesday at Laurie's picturesque Carringbush Park in Moorooduc. 'She certainly couldn't look any better at this stage of her preparation,' Laurie beamed. 'Most of the horses are still sporting a pretty wintry looking coat, she basically looks as though she's well into the spring already.' • Japan stint has jet-setting Dee primed to sprinkle some spring 'magic' Treasurethe Moment is equal $11 all-in favourite for the Caulfield Cup and $8 third elect in Cox Plate markets. Laurie deferred the ultimate Caulfield Cup-Cox Plate decision to Yulong billionaire owner-breeder Yuesheng Zhang but said the former could be the 'better target' based on track suitability and opposition strength. 'I think whichever way we went she'd be suitable, in anything we targeted,' Laurie said. 'She's an ultimate talent. We'll make our decision as we get further into the prep.' The Caulfield Cup has attracted 146 nominations, while the Cox Plate received 108 entries. Gilbert Gardiner Sports reporter Gilbert Gardiner is a sports reporter for the Herald Sun and Sunday Herald Sun. @gilbertgardiner Gilbert Gardiner
News.com.au
7 days ago
- Sport
- News.com.au
Treasurethe moments: Laurie eyes spring carnival success with Group 1 star
Trainer Matt Laurie is excited to unleash Caulfield Cup-nominated Group 1 star Treasurethe Moment against Australia's best equine talent in the Melbourne Spring Carnival. Treasurethe Moment, set to jumpout at Mornington on Wednesday, 'achieved everything we set her for' last season, with three Group 1 wins including Oaks in Melbourne and Sydney. 'Hopefully she can continue on and we'll be able to nail a Group 1 against the older bracket,' Laurie said. 'She's got such a great win record, it's going to be very interesting to see how she handles herself against this next lot of opposition.' Treasurethe Moment will audition for the Caulfield Cup or Cox Plate with Group 1 performances in the Memsie Stakes, Makybe Diva Stakes and Turnbull Stakes. 'She's a star and I'm looking forward to the next preparation,' Laurie said. 'We placed her to win (three-year-old fillies Group 1 targets) and she delivered and we're obviously here to carry on winning but we have to be a bit realistic about it. 'We're going to be coming up against some wonderful horses, so we'll see where we stand. 'She's going to have to take some big steps but she looks like the horse that might be capable of doing it.' Treasurethe Moment cut a striking figure on Tuesday at Laurie's picturesque Carringbush Park in Moorooduc. 'She certainly couldn't look any better at this stage of her preparation,' Laurie beamed. 'Most of the horses are still sporting a pretty wintry looking coat, she basically looks as though she's well into the spring already.' Treasurethe Moment is equal $11 all-in favourite for the Caulfield Cup and $8 third elect in Cox Plate markets. Laurie deferred the ultimate Caulfield Cup-Cox Plate decision to Yulong billionaire owner-breeder Yuesheng Zhang but said the former could be the 'better target' based on track suitability and opposition strength. 'I think whichever way we went she'd be suitable, in anything we targeted,' Laurie said. 'She's an ultimate talent. We'll make our decision as we get further into the prep.' The Caulfield Cup has attracted 146 nominations, while the Cox Plate received 108 entries.
News.com.au
28-05-2025
- Business
- News.com.au
Japanese stars on Melbourne Spring Carnival hit list
Leading Victorian racing officials spearhead a 'united' Melbourne spring carnival recruitment drive to Japan. Paul Bloodworth (Racing Victoria), Leigh Jordon (Victoria Racing Club) and Charlotte Mills (Moonee Valley Racing Club) will meet with major Japanese owners, trainers, breeders and officials during the week-long trip in a bid to secure greater spring carnival participation. The success of Japanese runners last year, Prognosis and Warp Speed placed second respectively in the Cox Plate and Melbourne Cup, has emboldened the touring party. 'It's good we're all going together,' Jordon said. 'A united front is much better than everyone going separate ways.' • The Valley has conducted its own recruitment missions past with strong success, but Mills welcomed the new approach. 'You're selling Victorian racing, as a trio that's got to be better,' Mills said. 'There's far more synergy now in terms of the program connection … you see horses go Cox Plate into Champions Stakes or the Champions Mile.' The Valley has invited connections of multiple Group 1-placed Prognosis back for a second attempt at the Cox Plate. 'He's still racing well and still racing lightly, just cannot crack that elusive Group 1 and I know Shadai would definitely like to see that horse get a Group 1 win,' Mills said. 'He's already experienced quarantine at Werribee and raced so well here, second in a track-record breaking run to Via Sistina, we'd love him to come back and go one better.' Potential Cups targets include the top five in the Group 1 Tenno Sho (3200m) last month at Kyoto. Warp Speed, who placed fifth in the Tenno Sho last year, contested the Caulfield Cup (unplaced) and missed by the barest margin in a pulsating Melbourne Cup finish. 'Usually the winner (Redentor this year) goes to the Arc over the years,' Jordon said. 'Second (Byzantine Dream), third (Shonan La Punta), fourth (Sunrise Earth) and fifth (Meiner Emperor) are definitely on the list … we'll see them all, get feedback and answer any questions.' Jordon would also love to attract an emerging star out of the Japanese Derby this Sunday in Tokyo.
