Inconspicuous ... Bart Cummings arrives in town ahead of the Melbourne Cup. Source: News Limited
Bart Cummings is back and he's hell-bent on winning a 13th Melbourne Cup at Flemington next Tuesday.
The Melbourne spring carnival isn't the same without Cummings but racing's living legend slipped quietly into town late yesterday to fine-tune the Cup preparations of his three stayers, Sanagas, Precedence and Dare To Dream.
But the maestro always has an opinion and he weighed into the debate about whether there is enough Melbourne Cup qualifying races for local stayers.
"It is much easier for the foreigners to qualify,'' Cummings said. "They can win a $5000 Listed race overseas and that's enough for them to get into the Melbourne Cup.
"It is becoming very one-sided and it is obvious they are pandering to the internationals.
"If they keep going like this, we will have to 'spot the Aussie' in the Cup.''
Cummings, 84, said the Victoria Racing Club has to provide more opportunities for local stayers to get into the Melbourne Cup.
"They should revert to what it used to be,'' he continued. "The distances of some of the traditional lead-up races like the Brisbane Cup have been shortened and some of the qualifying conditions for the Melbourne Cup have been taken away.
"There should be more qualifying races for the Australian horses. If you won the Moonee Valley Cup, it used to get you into the Melbourne Cup.''
The VRC has seven lead-up races that provide automatic inclusion for the winner into the Melbourne Cup - Caulfield Cup, Cox Plate, Mackinnon Stakes, Victoria Derby, Lexus Stakes, Irish St Leger and Japan's Tenno Sho.
But most of these lead-up races are irrelevant as rarely do the Tenno Sho, Victoria Derby and Cox Plate winners contest the Melbourne Cup, whilst those horses that are first over the line in the Irish St Leger, Mackinnon Stakes and Caulfield Cup are invariably already assured of a Melbourne Cup start.
So, this leaves the Lexus Stakes on Derby Day as the only last-ditch qualifying race.
Compare this situation to the Caulfield Cup where there are 11 exempt races with nine of those in Australia - Makybe Diva Stakes, Dato Tan Chin Nam Stakes, Underwood Stakes, Naturalism Stakes, Turnbull Stakes, Herbert Power Stakes, Caulfield Stakes, Toorak Handicap and Mornington Cup.
The plethora of exempt-free races ensures the in-form stayers make the Caulfield Cup field.
Earlier this week, VRC chief executive Dale Monteith reiterated the club's belief they have the balance right, saying horses aren't entitled to get a "free kick.''
Monteith also pointed out that weights have been moved from August to mid-September, meaning a lot more form can be taken into account.
But Racing Victoria chief handicapper Greg Carpenter said the Melbourne Cup qualifying conditions will be reviewed at the end of the spring carnival. "The essence of the argument is that owners and trainers need more clarity about what races can get their horse into the Cup,'' he admitted.
Carpenter said there were at least two races which could be added as exempt races for the Melbourne Cup. "The candidates are the Geelong Cup, a Group 3 handicap, and the Moonee Valley Cup, a Group 2 set weights and penalties race,'' Carpenter said. "We have had this discussion with the VRC previously and will do so again after this year's carnival.''
Cummings will have at least two runners in Tuesday's Melbourne Cup with Sanagas (11th in order of entry) and Precedence (23rd) already in the field.
But the Hall of Fame trainer is hoping to qualify Dare To Dream in the $250,000 Lexus Stakes (2500m) at Flemington on Saturday.
Dare To Dream is 46th in order of entry and needs to win the Lexus to gain a Cup start. "This is Dare To Dream's last chance, he has to run, it's all we can do,'' Cummings said. "He's a nice horse but last start, it was a fair run, that's all (seventh to Crafty Irna in the City Tattersall's Club Cup). He got too far back that day, had no hope really. The big Flemington track will suit him.''
Sanagas and Precedence have not been nominated for either the Mackinnon Stakes or Lexus Stakes on Derby Day as Cummings goes against his own proven Melbourne Cup winning formula.
The only Cup winner prepared by Cummings not to race on the Saturday prior to the Melbourne Cup was Saintly in 1996.
"They seem all right, they are fit enough, and clean winded, going pretty well,'' Cummings said. "They don't need to run again.''
Cummings conceded it will be tough for the locals to prevent the Melbourne Cup trophy returning to France again next week.
The French have won the last two Melbourne Cups with Americain (2010) and Dunaden (2011), with the legendary trainer rating the former as the one to beat.
"Americain is as good a sort as you will see anywhere,'' he continued. "He's a big, strong thing, I'd say whatever beats him will win.
"Dunaden's pretty good, too, even with 59kg. He's well in at the weights, I reckon, because in the old days he would have more than 60kg.''
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