By Owens Wong
Wednesday’s $300,000 feature race, the Geelong Cup, has grown in popularity and importance in recent years. Since 2002 when the Dermot Weld trained Media Puzzle won the Geelong Cup – Melbourne Cup double, the Geelong Cup has been the preferred option for the international raiders as the final lead-up to the Melbourne Cup. Americain won the double in 2010 and Dunaden repeated the dose last year.
This year, we have another French horse in the race, Brigantin, trained by the French legend Andre Fabre. Punters were aware that Brigantin has the record of beating Dunaden last year in a 3100m at Longchamp and they have backed Brigantin into favouritism for the Geelong Cup.
John Gosden will back Gatewood up in the Geelong Cup after his unlucky run in the Herbert Power. John Hawkes will also run Maluckyday in the Geelong feature in preparation for the Melbourne Cup.
Things come in three so who’s going to say this year’s Geelong Cup winner will not go on to win the Melbourne Cup.