Bumper Cups’ entries

The $5.15 million Stella Artois Caulfield Cup and the $8 million Lexus Melbourne Cup with an array of world class nominations with horses from the United Kingdom, Ireland, France, Germany and Japan joining Australasia’s best when entries closed at noon on Thursday.

The 142nd Caulfield Cup, the world’s richest 2400 metre turf handicap on October 19 , has attracted 143 entries, including 25 internationally trained horses, while the 159th Melbourne Cup at Flemington on November 5, has received 152 entries, including 39 internationally trained horses.

The first seven horses’ home in the 2018 Melbourne Cup, won by the Charlie Appleby-trained Cross Counter (GB) (Teofilo {Ire}) have all been nominated for the 2019 edition.

After victories by Northern Hemisphere 3-year-olds in the past two Melbourne Cups, 13 have been entered for this year’s race and eight for the Caulfield Cup, including recent Royal Ascot winner Dashing Willoughby (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}).

Renowned Irish trainer Aidan O’Brien has made eight and 11 nominations respectively for the Caulfield and Melbourne Cups, with reigning G1 English St Leger champion Kew Gardens (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), arguably the pick of his arsenal.

3YO in fine fettle

Bivouac (Exceed And Excel) will be out to add the G3 San Domenico S. at Rosehill to his record on Saturday and is ready for the challenge, according to trainer James Cummings.

"Bivouac has been held together since a scintillating first-up performance in the Vain S. against a small, but solid bunch of horses first-up at Caulfield," trainer James Cummings said.

"He's a very athletic horse who hasn't needed to do too much between runs and it will be important for him to maintain his consistency in his performances and cope with the challenge of travelling between states midway through his campaign."

Seth on top

Super Seth (Dundeel {NZ}) is on a path toward the G1 Caulfield Guineas calculations and he takes his first step when he resumes in the G3 McNeil S. at Caulfield.

"At this stage he's probably our number one seed," trainer Anthony Freedman's son and assistant trainer Sam said.

"They've got to come back at three and do it, so we'll probably see on Saturday where they're at and where they will measure up to.

"They are obviously first-up and both have got a lot of improvement in them," Freedman said. "Super Seth is obviously heading toward the Caulfield Guineas if he can measure up.”

Stablemate King Of Hastings (Ilovethiscity) will also run in the McNeil and Freedman said he looked to be the sharper of the pair and may stick to 1200 and 1400-metre contests.

Ritchie up for the fight

Cambridge trainer Shaune Ritchie is delighted with the way his 5-year-old stayer The Good Fight (NZ) (High Chaparral {Ire}) has settled into Sydney life and believes Saturday’s Nathan's Famous H. is the perfect race to get the ball rolling across the Tasman.

“He is great, he has settled in really well,” Ritchie said. “He didn’t have a sweat mark on him when he got off the flight and he has a really laid back nature. I paid a lot of money for him as a yearling so he has got the attitude that comes with the price tag.”

Ritchie bought The Good Fight out of Rich Hill Stud’s draft New Zealand Bloodstock’s Yearling Sale in 2016 for NZ$300,000. He is a son of the G2 Taranaki Cup winner Pravda (NZ) (Zabeel {NZ}) and the family of the former champion filly Samantha Miss (Redoute’s Choice).

Rondinella set to go

Group 1 performer Rondinella (NZ) (Ocean Park {NZ}) will open her spring campaign in an open handicap sprint at Ellerslie on Saturday week.

“The G1 Tarzino Trophy came up a little too quickly for her,” said Mark Chitty, Managing Director of Haunui Farm who co-bred the mare and share in the ownership.

“If she races well she’ll head to Melbourne for the fillies and mares’ races from a mile to 2000 metres.”

The winner of four races and placed in the G1 Bonecrusher S., Rondinella hasn’t raced since she finished fourth in the G1 Sydney Cup off the back of a third placing in the G1 Ranvet S.

She is a daughter of Valpolicella (NZ) (Red Ransom {USA}), who has an Iffraaj (GB) colt to be sold at Karaka next year. The mare is in foal to Not A Single Doubt and is likely to return to Australia to be mated, but a decision on her consort has yet to be made.

Massive donation

The Kwok family, who race the star Hong Kong galloper Beauty Generation (NZ) (Road To Rock), has donated $1 million to the family of injured jockey Tye Angland.

At a gala event held just a few days out from the commencement of the new Hong Kong racing season, the Kwoks presented a cheque for $1 million.

The money will be held in trust to assist with the education and future of Angland and his wife's Erin's young children, Alexis, Addison and Rylan.

"The whole family is obviously very grateful with what the Kwok family has put together for us," Angland said on Sydney's Sky Sports Radio.

"Emotions have been high and low ever since the accident. The racing family has been very supportive of the whole accident and towards my family as well. It's definitely made life that little bit easier, that's for sure."

Emotional sale

Emotions ran high on day two of the Goffs UK Premier Sale at Doncaster when Anna Sundstrom, of Coulonces Sale sold the session’s top-priced youngster.

The son of Wootton Bassett (GB) and multiuple Group 1 winning mare Laurens (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}) was knocked down to Goffs agent for 280,000 pounds and will be trained by Roger Varian.

The Swedish-born consignor later revealed that her mother is currently in hospital in France and that the colt was bred by her parents.

A first crop son of Tally-Ho Stud sire Mehmas (Ire) was widely touted as a possible highlight of the Sale after receiving a dream update when half-brother Golden Horde (Ire) (Lethal Force {Ire}) took the G2 Richmond S. and followed up with a fine third in the G1 Prix Morny.

Agent Oliver St. Lawrence chimed in with a winning 260,000 pound bid on behalf of Fawzi Nass.

A clearance rate come to 85 per cent was on par with last year with the average price increasing by three per cent to 46,564 pounds.

“We have enjoyed another very successful Premier Sale and once again we have set a new record top price, 440,000 pounds, which followed last year’s 380,000 pound record,” Goffs UK Managing Director Tony Williams said.

Open letter on cobalt

A group of prominent veterinarians and scientists have urged Australian racing regulators to implement an immediate moratorium on prosecutions for alleged misuse of cobalt.

In a recent communication to the Australian Racing Board, Australian Harness Racing Board and Australian Greyhound Board, the group set out their concerns.

• The current test method employed to detect cobalt salts in urine is inappropriate and prone to false positives due to Vitamin B12 and urine concentration effects and could therefore result in convictions of innocent parties.

• It is clear that some trainers have incurred positives from cobalt exposure in feed and environment outside of their knowledge or control.

• The experts question the use of population studies on race day samples from horses with unknown exposure in feed supplements and the environment, to set a threshold.

• They believe there is confusion and misinformation regarding both the potency and potential toxicity of cobalt salts.

• A further request to regulators is that they provide financial and administrative support to a multi-disciplinary Committee of Inquiry whose charge is to find a consensus approach to future regulation of cobalt use in racing animals.

The signatories emphasise they endorse the efforts of regulators to identify and punish those who seek to gain an advantage by unfair means, which includes use of performance-enhancing substances.