INTERNATIONAL
Werribee is the place to look if you are trying to find the winner of the Cup, writes LEO SCHLINK
EVEN on the gloomiest Werribee dawns, the signs are luminous. Crafted in the colours famed by the horses who wore them to victory, the small placards bear homage to the now familiar waves of champions to spend time at the quarantine station.
Two of the three barns are named after illustrious invaders, Vintage Crop and Americain.
The third honours Newminster, the inaugural (1879) Caulfield Cup winner who was bred at Point Cook stud by the Chirnside family.
The Werribee facility opened in 2010.
Since then, almost 300 horses from across the world have gone through the centre.
In those nine years, five Melbourne Cups, four Caul“We field Cups and two Cox Plates have been plundered via Werribee.
In keeping with practice, names such as Dunaden, Protectionist, Rekindling, Cross Counter, Adelaide, All The Good, Admire Rakti, and Best Solution are festooned on the barn.
Lys Gracieux and Mer De Glace, the high-class Japanese winners of this year’s Cox Plate and Caulfield Cup, will be similarly feted.
As Adam Wilkinson, Werribee Racing Club’s general manager, rattles off names and numbers, it is difficult not to believe the winner of Tuesday’s Melbourne Cup is not among this year’s inductees.
Werribee-based raiders occupy 11 slots in the 24-horse field. Several others, including Constantinople, Southern France and Mustajeer, acclimatised at Werribee before joining local yards.
Johnny Murtagh, the retired Irish riding great, says while Australia has made a habit of targeting the King’s Stand and Diamond Jubilee at Royal Ascot he rode Choisir to victory in both staying traffic continues to head the other way.
have good, tough, strong stayers,” he said. “Australia has great sprinters.
“You’ve seen over the last few years how well the northern hemisphere three-yearolds (Rekindling and Cross Counter) have done here.
“They’ve taken on the older horses and beaten them as inexperienced horses.”
More than 40 horses have passed through Werribee this spring, with contrasting outcomes.
Red Verdon, Red Galileo, Gold Mount, Marmelo and Ispolini have been sidelined, some contentiously, but the spoils have been plentiful.
Apart from Lys Gracieux and Mer De Glace’s epic victories, Hunting Horn (Moonee Valley Gold Cup) and Chief Ironside (Crystal Mile) have saluted.