CUP BECKONS
Yucatan presents the world's top trainer, Aidan o'Brien, with his best chance to claim the prestigious prize
NICK Williams, the co-owner of Melbourne Cup favourite Yucatan, has implored Flemington track manager Liam O’Keeffe to “turn the taps on” ahead of tomorrow’s meeting after concerns over the firmness of the track for Derby Day on Saturday.
The track was rated a good three on Saturday but Williams, who also has The Cliffsofmoher running tomorrow, said the track needed more water despite the forecast for rain today and tomorrow.
O’Keeffe did apply 5mm of irrigation to the track shortly after Saturday’s meeting.
“I was fortunate that I was a spectator on Saturday and I’m pleased we didn’t have any of our horses there because I can guarantee you there are a lot of sore horses to come out of that race day,” Williams said.
“I spent a fair bit of time in the mounting yard and I probably had 10 or 15 jockeys tell me it was ridiculously firm, and it’s something the authorities need to look at.”
Williams received support from Magic Circle’s trainer, Ian Williams, but not from Charlie Fellowes.
Fellowes will saddle up A Prince Of Arran, who qualified to run in the Cup when he won the Lexus Stakes at Flemington on Saturday.
“Leave the track alone,” he said at Werribee yesterday morning.
Despite the track worries, Williams said the strong international presence meant the Cup was no longer just the race that stopped a nation.
“It’s getting close to the race that stops the world,” he said.
“Yucatan and The Cliffsofmoher were the two horses that we thought would do the job down here. And rightly or wrongly we’ve got a firm view of the northern hemisphere three-year-old crop of last year.
“It’s a very strong crop of horses and we just saw Enable win (the Breeders Cup Turf).
“You look at Cracksman, Rekindling (the 2017 Melbourne Cup winner) and The Cliffsofmoher and Yucatan. They were at the top end of that crop and they have proven to be a pretty serious crop of horses in open company.”
The Aidan O’Brien-trained five-year-old Yucatan will again be partnered by champion jockey James McDonald, but has eased slightly as favourite after drawing a little too wide in gate 23.
However, Williams warned rivals that $6 favourite Yucatan was going even better than when he smashed his rivals in the Group 2 Herbert Power Stakes (2400m) at Caulfield on October 13.
“We thought he would run very well (in the Herbert Power) but if I had said to anyone that we expected him to run like that, you would need the men in the white coats to lock me up and assess my mentality,” Williams said.
“He was more impressive than we could have hoped for and I can certainly say that after talking to Aidan’s people he has come on from the race.
“Hindsight has shown us that we’ve done the right thing in skipping the Caulfield Cup with him and I think he will run a mighty race on Tuesday because he has really improved.
“This horse is ticking all the boxes and James will ride him really well.
“And he needs galloping room, so the draw (barrier 23) won’t bother him too much.”
The Cliffsofmoher, a $16 hope, ran a bottler under the circumstances when third to Best Solution in the Caulfield Cup (2400m) a fortnight ago.
He will be ridden by the world’s leading rider, Ryan Moore, and is also under the watchful eye of Irish master trainer O’Brien.
The Cliffsofmoher has won only three times from 17 starts and is suspect over 3200m because he hasn’t won over more than 2075m in Europe.
He has raced over 2400m four times without success but Williams believes punters shouldn’t read much into that.
“It (winning record) isn’t perfect,” Williams said. “You have to get it just right on him.
“He has all the ability in the world, but has a couple of ticks.
“I don’t think he would come close to running two miles (in the northern hemisphere), but the tempo will really suit him down here and he has Australia written all over him.
“His style looks like it will really suit Australia. He ran a blinder in the Caulfield Cup and he’s in good form.”
Two-time Melbourne Cup winner Jimmy Cassidy has told comeback kid McDonald the barrier will not stop him winning tomorrow’s great race and to just be fixated on giving Yucatan a trouble-free run.
Growing up in New Zealand, McDonald always looked up to Cassidy and the now retired “Pumper” has acted as a mentor to the jockey several times over the years.
After drawing barrier 23 on Saturday night, McDonald asked Cassidy his opinion of the gate. The answer was short and to the point.
“I said it’s only a number, mate,” Cassidy said.
“I said to ‘J-Mac’ just get into a rhythm, put him to sleep and worry about it 800m from home. That’s all you’ve got to do.”
‘‘ I PROBABLY HAD 10 OR 15 JOCKEYS TELL ME IT WAS RIDICULOUSLY FIRM. NICK WILLIAMS