EXCESS ANXIETY
Cup berth rides on Lexus Stakes win
FOR Gold Coast real estate agent David Henderson, the feeling is a bit different in the lead-up to this year’s Melbourne Cup.
Two years ago he part-owned the Cup favourite and eventual winner Fiorente but this year he is still trying to get a runner in the big race courtesy of Excess Knowledge in the Lexus Stakes (2500m) at Flemington today.
Along with several other Cup hopefuls, Excess Knowledge needs to win the Lexus Stakes to gain a spot in Tuesday’s Melbourne Cup field.
And in what would be a fitting moment, Fiorente is the horse Henderson should thank if Excess Knowledge wins the Lexus Stakes and in turn gives Henderson his fifth runner in the $6 million Melbourne Cup.
It was only a few months after Fiorente won the 2013 Melbourne Cup when Henderson was presented with the chance to buy into Excess Knowledge.
The 49-year-old Henderson, who took a 15 per cent share in Excess Knowledge along with his wife Rhonda and brother Andrew, selects his horses carefully but this one he simply couldn’t knock back.
Excess Knowledge was by Monsun, the same sire as Fiorente, and that wasn’t the only similarity.
“He is of a similar colour and his form in the UK wasn’t too different to what Fiorente had done at the same time and there were a lot of similarities,” Henderson said.
“It was a few months after Fiorente’s Melbourne Cup win and everyone was pretty buoyant – he actually cost a bit more to get to Australia than Fiorente did. He was probably a bit expensive but anyway we might still get it back.”
Henderson would be the first to admit Excess Knowledge is no Fiorente.
Fiorente was a star and if injury hadn’t cut short his career last year he could have well have claimed the Melbourne Cup again last year.
But that’s not to sell Excess Knowledge short. The fiveyear-old has been $7 into $5 with UBET for the Lexus Stakes and Henderson feels he will justify the betting move.
“We’re in the ‘last-chance stakes’ but I think he is a real show in the Lexus,” Henderson said.
“If you go back to his last run (in the Herbert Power Stakes) the horse that won that race (Amralah) is right in Melbourne Cup contention.’’
As for the Melbourne Cup, Henderson knows it will be a tough task to win, but just getting into the race again would be an achievement worth celebrating.
“It’s the dream for people in racing to have a horse in the Melbourne Cup and for us it would be the fifth time we’ve had a runner in the race after Descarado, Tullamore and Fiorente twice,” he said.
“It would be very exciting to be in the big race again and they pay very good prizemoney down to 10th so if Excess Knowledge can run top 10, I’ll be very happy.”
Henderson will have double the reason to cheer at Flemington today as he will also be represented by Pornichet in the Group 1 Mackinnon Stakes (2000m).
“I’m probably more confident about Excess Knowledge,” he said.
“But then Pornichet ran really well in the Cox Plate and I expect him to run
well again.”