Bart Cummings may well be a Melbourne Cup absentee but don’t forget the French equivalent. A gentleman named Alain de Royer-Dupre. Like Cummings a maestro when it comes to thoroughbreds.
Of course, Royer-Dupre won the Melbourne Cup a couple of years back via Americain. The master has returned and tomorrow will start a five-year-old mare named Verema.
Little has been written about Verema, which is owned by the Aga Khan, and will be ridden by one of the best in Christopher Lemaire. He was the one that claimed the Melbourne Cup on the other French winner Dunaden which will carry top weight this time round.
Royer-Dupre last week told those present at the Werribee quarantine centre Verema “is the same level” as Americain while adding “the level of the race is going up”.
Verema has only 53kg and from the three barrier Lemaire can do his own thing. The mare goes into the marathon as a last start winner of the Prex Kergorlay at Deauville which Americain won prior to arriving here and winning the Geelong Cup.
“She [Verema] won two Group 2 with a good turn of foot,” Royer-Dupre said.
“It is why we were thinking about this race because to do well at Flemington you need horses that have a good turn of foot.”
And Royer-Dupre is a fan of former French galloper Tres Blue which is now prepared by Gai Waterhouse who also has the favourite and last year’s Melbourne Cup runner-up Fiorente.
“In quality I think he (Tres Blue) is better than Verema,” De Royer-Dupre said.
“But we don’t know, he is a three-year-old, how he accept the trip, how he could be before the race.
“And I think the horse (Simenon) of (trainer) Willie Mullins looks very well.
“I saw him yesterday and he looks very well and Willie is a great man for that.”
A hurdler back home in Ireland Simeon goes into the cup having finishing third in the Herbert Power Stakes which was taken out by the import Sea Moon which is one of six runners owned by Lloyd Williams.
The learned racing academic has last year’s winner Green Moon, the recent Caulfield Cup winner Fawkner, the Metropolitan victor Seville along with Masked Marvel and Mourayan which will be fitted with blinkers.
A four time Melbourne Cup winner Williams believes Fiorente “has impeccable lead-up form” for the stayer has followed the same campaign the owner plotted 12 months ago with Green Moon.
Chasing her first Melbourne Cup victory, Waterhouse said Tres Blue continued to impress. “He just oozes talent, this fellow,” she said. “The other one (Fiorente) has been there and has done it. He has the experience.
“They’ve both done a treat. They’re different horses and I’m very happy with both of them.”
While the Caulfield Cup was once considered the ultimate lead into the Melbourne Cup things have changed as the $6 million race went international.
Fawkner’s peak may have arrived in the Caulfield Cup although Williams is in charge. The Caulfield Cup runner-up Dandino charged home when making his Australian debut and connections believe the wide open spaces at Flemington and the extra 800m will be appreciated.
The Caulfield Cup favourite Hawkspur finished seventh after settling well back due to an early scrimmage.
Prepared by the record maker Chris Waller and ridden by Hall of Famer Jim Cassidy, Hawkspur may well be the forgotten runner in this Melbourne Cup.
Cassidy has two cups already and heads into the latest having joined the greats George Moore and Roy Higgins in the “100 group 1 club” having notched the milestone aboard Waller’s Zoustar at Flemington last Saturday.
Hawkspur is definitely on my Melbourne Cup top four list. Barrier 18 may well be a worry but not for Cassidy who will pumped for the 53.5kg ride.
So here are the tips; Verema 1, Hawkspur 2, Tres Blue 3, Fiorente 4.
By Craig Young
