William Derby, York’s chief executive and clerk of the course, is in Melbourne for the Spring Carnival and has agreed to give us a brief update on his travels.
I last went out for the Melbourne Cup in 2010 for the 150th race The race that stops a nation. That year, Americain won the Cup for France under Gerard Mosse. I loved the whole experience and vowed to come back and can’t wait for next week.
After the long flight from Manchester to Dubai, a number of things become immediately apparent.
The first is that it has been a very wet time in Melbourne of late! The track at Flemington on the eve of Victoria Derby Day is a Heavy 8, the Yara River that runs through the heart of Melbourne’s city center is raging and a muddy brown, and the Australia vs England T20 cricket match at the iconic MCG ground has just been cancelled. .
These deep conditions may not suit some of the European horses that have been running on our fast ground all summer and it certainly makes the suntan lotion I stocked up on redundant.
The second thing to note is the tagline “The Race That Stops a Nation” is not a flamboyant narrative. References to the Cup are everywhere, from the giant billboards on the freeway from the airport to the city centre, to the acres of print coverage in Australian national newspapers, to the sheer volume of digital social media posts on every aspect of the races. – horses, personalities, fashion, food and weather.
In a sports-crazy country and a city filled with every type of professional sport, this week really has its significance and accomplishments cut short.
The third thing to note is that Australians really know how to throw a party!
My first engagement was the amazing Victoria Racing Club Chairman’s Dinner at the famous Flemington Birdcage, complete with a stunning performance from Australia Idol winner Paulini (no, me neither, but she could sing!).
Then a giant Carbine Club lunch for 850 from Melbourne’s business and racing community where none other than “International Racing Personality” Nick Luck was the (brilliant) guest speaker.
The four days of racing that make up the Spring Carnival this week (Saturday, Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday) are given space to breathe, recuperate and enjoy – the off days are filled with pre-parties, parades and celebration after the race!
There may be a shortage of Shiraz after this week of weeks!
And so to the race itself as tomorrow sees the opening day of the Victoria Derby.
The races look valuable, competitive and deep fields all week. Of particular personal interest is how the form York translates Down Under. The legend of Deauville was an impressive winner of the Sky Bet Great Voltigeur Stakes at Ebor and looks to follow in the footsteps of Cross Counter who won both races in 2018.
He is the current race favourite, but the weights have not been particularly kind. Without War won two listed races at Knavesmire this year, namely the Sky Bet Grand Cup and John Smith’s Silver Cup – I worry the ground may have gone against him.
Hoo Ya Mal won his maiden at York in the 2021 Convivial – now trained by the legendary Gai Waterhouse, he looks an interesting runner at a nice weight.
Leading rider at this year’s Sky Bet Ebor Festival and champion jockey William Buick is in town and looks to have a strong book of rides – Australians know his talent in the saddle and his reputation here is rightfully sky high.
Apart from the rain, the only setback so far for all concerned is the high-profile withdrawals of horses that have failed Racing Victoria’s extensive veterinary checks. Short-priced Loft from Germany is vet-spun as is Highclere’s Durston. The welfare of the horses and mitigation of risk is clearly paramount and hopefully both horses will be successful one day.
I hope to keep you updated as this week of great sports unfolds – now to buy an Aussie hat.
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