PRINCE BOASTS AUSSIE BACKING
KINROSS will bid to derail Aidan O’Brien’s five-handed bid for a slice of racing history at Newcastle tomorrow night.
O’Brien has five of the 12 runners declared yesterday morning for the Vertem Futurity Trophy, the first Group One race to be run on an all-weather surface after being rescheduled from waterlogged Doncaster on Saturday.
But Kinross, who was an impressive eight-length winner of his debut at Newmarket at the beginning of the month, will take on the Ballydoyle colts after being supplemented for the mile test at a cost of £17,500 last Monday.
Ralph Beckett’s son of Kingman was not in the original field – O’Brien was set to field five of the six contestants at Town Moor – and the Hampshire trainer said: “Kinross is in great shape.
“I was expecting him to run very well on his debut and the rating he got isn’t something I’ve had for a debutant in 20 years.”
Kinross is Paddy Power’s 9-4 second choice to remain unbeaten as he steps up to the highest level.
The O’Brien-trained Mogul, a Group Two scorer at Leopardstown on Irish
Champions Weekend last month, is the Dublin firm’s 13-8 market leader.
Meanwhile, a “shocked” Hughie Morrison yesterday vowed to appeal against the Racing Victoria stewards’ decision to rule Marmelo out of the Melbourne Cup.
The popular six-year-old, beaten a length by Cross Counter at Flemington 12 months ago, has been denied the chance to go one better next Tuesday after a University of Melbourne Equine Clinic bone scan found Marmelo to have an “incomplete fracture” in his near-fore cannon bone.
But a furious Morrison pledged fight the ruling.
Labelling the findings “inaccurate and unfounded”, the East Ilsley trainer said: “We are shocked – I’m trying to sort an appeal out.”
The Charlie Appleby-trained Ispolini was also scratched after scans showed the Godolphin four-year-old to be carrying an injury. CHAMPION HURDLE favourite Klassical Dream will begin his campaign in the Grade One Morgiana Hurdle at Punchestown on November 16, Willie Mullins revealed yesterday. to
CHARLIE FELLOWES believes Prince Of Arran has captured the hearts of racing fans in Australia as he prepares for his second shot at the Lexus Melbourne Cup at Flemington.
Having finished third in the ‘race that stops a nation’ 12 months ago, the globe-trotting six-year-old will bid to go two places better in the Group One showpiece next week.
The gelded son of Shirocco secured his place in the line-up for the prestigious two-mile prize after picking up the penalty he required with victory in the Geelong Cup.
Fellowes (above) said: “They have definitely taken to him over there and he has a real following.
“I think the reason he is so popular is they like the story that goes with him.
“They are comparing him to Red Cadeaux, which is a huge compliment. He finished second in the race three times, but hopefully we can go one better on Tuesday.
“But there will be a lot more nerves because there is more pressure and expectation.”