Appleby closes in on goals

IN a year in which he has ticked off the Epsom Derby with Masar, UK-based trainer Charlie Appleby is striving to claim a Melbourne Cup for Godolphin.

Appleby arrived in Melbourne yesterday morning to watch Jungle Cat and Folkswood run in feature races at Caulfield today.

The two are the first of Appleby’s team for this year’s Melbourne spring carnival to step out, with Blair House also in Victoria to run in Sunday week’s Underwood Stakes.

Appleby has four other horses in quarantine in England preparing to head to Australia including his Melbourne Cup contenders Cross Counter and Hamada. Emotionless, who is set for the Caulfield Cup, also holds a Melbourne Cup nomination.

Appleby has been a trainer for Godolphin since 2013 and has had winners in the Melbourne spring for the past two years and also has a Sydney Cup in the autumn with Polarisation in 2017.

Sheikh Mohammed’s Godolphin operation has tried many times over the years to win the Melbourne Cup.

“When I was fortunate enough to take the licence over five years ago now, the two races that would have been high on the agenda first and foremost was obviously the Epsom Derby, and the Melbourne Cup,” Appleby said.

“We’ve tried many times and run some close races there (Cup) but haven’t put it in the back of the net yet.”