The 2010 Melbourne Cup winner Americain has drawn ''the perfect barrier'' for what will be his final race start in Tuesday's Melbourne Cup. Unless he happens to win it.
The favourite for the $6.2 million race drew the middle barrier 12 in the field of 24 at Saturday night's draw where his part-owner Gerry Ryan confirmed the magnificent eight-year-old would finish his glorious career if he was beaten.
''It's his last go at the Cup and his last run but Kevin [Bamford, part-owner] came up with the idea that if he was to win, we'd take him to [the] Sandown [Classic] and give everyone a chance to farewell him,'' Ryan said. ''I hope we get to Sandown.''
Americain continued to tumble in the Cup market, as he has done for the past week since it was confirmed that two-time Melbourne Cup-winning jockey Damien Oliver, who won Saturday's Victoria Derby on outsider Fiveandahalfstar, will ride him for the first time. He was in to $5 after the barrier draw, which Ryan said gave Oliver a series of options of where to ride the horse.
When final acceptances were taken on Saturday at 6.30pm (NZT), there were a record 40 horses remaining in the Melbourne Cup. The Victoria Racing Club committee met briefly but once again announced no changes to the line-up with the top 24 horses on the order of entry confirmed as starters.
Sheikh Al Thani, the owner of last year's winner Dunaden, said he wasn't worried about his horse jumping from gate 16 but said there were other factors that had him concerned. The horse's trainer Mikel Delzangles will fly to Melbourne on Monday after tasting success in the juvenile Breeders' Cup at Santa Anita in the US. ''I hope my trainer hasn't used up all my luck in America,'' he said. ''The barrier is OK but 59 kilograms is a worry. We are hoping he can do it again.''
The mystery horse of this year's Melbourne Cup is the third favourite Mount Athos, which firmed in a point to $7 after drawing ideally in barrier eight. Owner Marwan Koukash was delighted. ''We wanted to draw as close to 10 as possible and we are right where we wanted to be,'' he said. ''The horse has travelled well and we have a good barrier, so I can't wait for Tuesday.''
Mark Weld said barrier 11 for Galileo's Choice was ideal and not just because it gave rider Pat Smullen the option of pressing forward or easing back for a trail. ''We are delighted to be drawn inside Americain,'' the son of trainer Dermot said. ''They are boxed next to each other at Werribee and if you could have chose where we wanted to draw it would have been next to him in the middle of the field.''
Red Cadeaux's trainer Ed Dunlop and his jockey Michael Rodd couldn't quite agree that barrier 18 may present a problem for the runner-up of last year. ''My only concerns were drawing either barrier one or 24,'' Dunlop said. ''I am not concerned outside of that.''
But Rodd said he was concerned the wide draw could ruin his chances. ''It's a bit of a kick in the guts, to tell you the truth, drawing out there,'' he said. ''He's a horse that settles in the second half of the field anyway and he's always very strong late so we'll just have to wait and see come Tuesday.''
Earlier, another former imported horse snared the final Cup spot when Kelinni won the Lexus. Kelinni will carry 51 kilograms in the Cup after Racing Victoria handicapper Greg Carpenter decided against penalising him for Saturday's win.
- The Age
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