Two time Melbourne Cup winning jockey Damien Oliver says he could not be more impressed with 2010 Melbourne Cup winner Americain after riding the French horse for the first time in trackwork at Werribee on Wednesday morning.
Oliver, who rode Doriemus to victory in the 1995 Melbourne Cup and then famously Irish galloper Media Puzzle for Dermot Weld in 2002 just days after the death of his brother Jason in a race fall, was a surprise call-up to ride Americain in this year's Cup after the sacking of French jockey Gerard Mosse.
Mosse rode the horse to victory in the 2010 Melbourne Cup but also when the horse was an unlucky fourth behind fellow French horse Dunaden in both last year's Melbourne Cup and this year's Caulfield Cup.
Many believe Americain could have won both races with the horse's Australian owners Gerry Ryan and Kevin Bamford deciding to go with Oliver for the Melbourne Cup.
Oliver was without a Melbourne Cup ride after being dumped from the Luca Cumani trained My Quest For Peace following allegations that two years ago he wagered against his own mount in a race at Moonee Valley.
Oliver, speaking to reporters at Werribee on Wednesday morning after riding Americain for the first time, said he could hardly believe his luck at securing one of the favourites for this year's $6.2 million race.
'I was driving back from Ballarat (when he found out he would be riding the horse) and I nearly drove off the road,' Oliver said.
Oliver said it was a thrill just to ride the French superstar in trackwork on Wednesday.
'He really is a brilliant horse. He is far more imposing when you are on him than watching him from afar.
'He has such athleticism and is light on his feet.
'He is in great form and this is a great opportunity for me.'
Americain is aiming to join record three-time winner Makybe Diva and dual winners Think Big, Rain Lover, Peter Pan and Archer as the only horses to win more than one Melbourne Cup.
And if he could win this year, Americain would join Peter Pan (1932 and 1934) as the only horse to win the Melbourne Cup twice but not in successive years.
Americain will also meet Dunaden one kilogram better for his defeat in the Caulfield Cup.
Dunaden will now carry 59kg in this year's Melbourne Cup while Americain will carry 58kg, the same weight Dunaden carried to victory last year, after Americain carried 54.5kg to victory in the 2010 Cup.
Dunaden also carried 54.5kg to victory in last year's Melbourne Cup.
Oliver said he could not have been more impressed with Americain's unlucky fourth in this year's Caulfield Cup.
'It was a terrific run, particularly as Caulfield is not an ideal track for him,' he said.
'He has got good form at Flemington (he also ran third in the 2012 Australian Cup) and he will be much better suited back at Flemington.'
No comments:
Post a Comment