Former All Black’s cup chance
A wish granted at the weekend could be the forerunner to wilder celebrations for the Carter family.
Siblings John, former All Black loose forward Mark and Rachael operate under the Jomara Bloodstock banner and early on Sunday morning they welcomed a half-sister to Humidor, who on Tuesday bids for Group I Melbourne Cup (3200m) glory at Flemington.
‘‘We had some really good news when Humidor’s mother foaled a filly at 3am on Sunday morning,’’ Mark Carter said.
‘‘We sold a half-sister to Humidor and the mare’s had a filly by Shooting To Win. It’s a nice match and we were desperate for a filly to keep the family going.’’
The Carters bred Humidor, who is by Teofilo out of the Zabeel mare Zalika, and enjoyed success in the Group III Manawatu Challenge Classic (2000m) and a Group I Livamol Classic (2040m) placing with the gelding when he was trained at Otaki by Johno Benner and Hollie Wynyard.
Jomara Bloodstock sold a 50 per cent interest in Humidor to clients of top Victorian trainer Darren Weir, who has subsequently added Group I wins in the Australian Cup (2000m) and the Makybe Diva Stakes (1600m) to the horse’s record.
Now, the five-year-old is the equal third favourite at $10 to win the Melbourne Cup.
‘‘It’s very exciting and at a whole new level – it’s a dream come true to have a runner,’’ Carter said.
He is endeavouring to take a low-key approach to Tuesday.
‘‘I’m trying to have low expectations so I don’t get disappointed,’’ Carter said.
Meanwhile, Weir is more worried about Humidor’s weight than he is about him mastering the extreme distance of Tuesday’s Melbourne Cup.
‘‘The negative is the 56kg, it’s enough, but all the indications say he will stay,’’ Weir said.
Humidor goes into the cup off the back of his runner-up finish in the Cox Plate (2040m) at Moonee Valley where he momentarily looked like he may have lowered the colours of the champion mare Winx.
‘‘I didn’t really think he would get that close, but he’s such a good horse when he’s ridden the right way and he got a beautiful run in the Cox Plate,’’ Weir said.
‘‘From a cup point of view it was a terrific run.’’
Humidor will be ridden by the in-form Blake Shinn.
With the withdrawal of the only Kiwi-trained contender, Jon Snow, before the field was finalised and the scratching of veteran Who Shot Thebarman on Sunday, Humidor carries the most Kiwi interest in the cup, but there is a second Kiwi-bred runner in Cismontane ($51), who only gained entry through his win in the Lexus Stakes at Flemington on Saturday. He was bred by Windsor Park Stud of Cambridge and is the late shuttle sire out of the Kiwi mare Viviane.
There are three expat Kiwi jockeys in the big race, while Chris Waller, the top Sydney trainer who hails from Foxton, has a solid chance in Libran.
The jockeys are three-time New Zealand premiership winner Michael Walker, who will ride Bondi Beach ($61), Cory Parish, who will ride his Caulfield Cup winner Boom Time ($31), and
21-year Michael Dee, who will be on board outsider Gallante ($101).
The three jockeys live in Victoria. - NZ Racing Desk
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