Ice Chariot just keeps making the headlines, albeit on this occasion kind of funny. A horse after my own heart perhaps

The four-legged vacuum Ice Chariot from Racing and Sports

The four-legged vacuum Ice Chariot will be lining up for the third consecutive Saturday in the SAAB Quality, not because he needs to qualify for next week’s Melbourne Cup but because he needs the run.

Trainer Ron Maund termed the six-year-old as such on his eating ability, especially now he’s based in a quarter acre paddock at Corinella, obliviously to French Island across the bay as he has his head in the clover.

After a somewhat luckless effort in the Caulfield Cup when eighth after being shuffled right back Maund expected the gelding to back up and go close in the Moonee Valley Cup.

He placed behind Gallopin, beaten 2.5 lengths, but the trainer was still disappointed in the run and felt the gross gelding had “gotten away”.

“To my dismay after running such a good race in the Caulfield Cup a week earlier he pulled up like a fat puppy,” Maund told Radio 4TAB.

“We’ve come to the conclusion that he’s overdone the country lifestyle on the lush Corinella clover and rye grass.

“He’s like a vacuum when he gets on the grass and won’t lift his head.”

Maund said it took Ice Chariot an age to recover from his Moonee Valley run and feels he needs another this weekend to be at his top for the Melbourne Cup.

Ice Chariot qualified for the 2006 Melbourne Cup by winning the Queensland Derby but could manage only 22nd behind Delta Blues.

But Maund said typical of the Semipalatinsk breed he has continued to improve with age and is racing in career best form.

This time in he finished third in the Theo Marks Stakes, Shannon Stakes and Craven Plate before his Caulfield Cup eighth then last weekend’s placing.

He is fully qualified for the Cup, sitting 17th in order of entry, where he has 53kg.

I have just finished watching all of Septimus’ races and while I am kind of impressed with his wins, settles well etc, there is pretty much always a very solid pace out front which he may not get next Tuesday. Also while watching the GNER Doncaster Cup 14th September 2007, I noticed a few previous Melbourne Cup runners and they should ring a few bells with you also. Well, maybe not, unless you keep tabs on the horses that finish 20 lengths from the winner of the Melbourne Cup.

GEORDIELAND, 2006 Melbourne Cup, beaten by Delta Blues to the tune of 26.3L and 18th of 23 (yes I also note that Ice Chariot was 2nd last.)

However, that is not the point I actually want to make, Geordieland, then went onto win 26th May 2008, after 7 months off 1st up over 2800m beating home, Honolulu who was 4th also resuming.

Honolulu then wins Alexandra Stakes over 4345m by 1.5L over Distinction….wait for it…then gets pumped over 3200m by 20 lengths to Yeats Goodwood Cup 31st July over the Melbourne Cup distance of 3200…Tungsten Strike 2nd…anyone recall him..only lost by 54lengths to Efficient last year!

DISTINCTION, 2005 Melbourne Cup, beaten by Makybe Diva to the tune of 20L and 19th, but is still running around the UK beating the likes of Honolulu and competing with Septimus.

GB – DONCASTER 14 Sep 2007
GNER DONCASTER CUP (G2) 3600m $182,590 SOT=GF
RaceT=3:48.41

FP Tb Horse wt Jockey (bp) Trainer SP
1st 8 SEPTIMUS 59.0 JOHN MURTAGH (8) A P O’BRIEN 11-10
2nd 5 GEORDIELAND 57.5 T QUEALLY (5) J A OSBORNE 7-1
3rd 6 ALLEGRETTO 57.5 FRANKIE DETTORI (6) SIR MICHAEL STOUTE 7-2
4th 4 DISTINCTION 57.5 OLIVIER PESLIER (4) SIR MICHAEL STOUTE 8-1
5th 2 FINALMENTE 57.5 RICHARD HUGHES (2) N A CALLAGHAN 14-1
6th 1 BALKAN KNIGHT 57.5 TED DURCAN (1) D R C ELSWORTH 12-1
7th 7 LAND ‘N STARS 57.5 PAUL HANAGAN (7) R A FAHEY 50-1
8th 3 BADDAM 57.5 IAN MONGAN (3) M R CHANNON 33-1

Seems to me, that yes, Spetimus can stay, but requires the pace on to make it a true staying event, so I am willing to bet that we’ll see ALESSANDRO VOLTA, out in front ensuing a solid pace to work in the favour of Septimus. Of course pace setting is common place in the UK, but illegal here in Australia, but not something that you can really prove, or at least had to do so.

Also, I have noticed a lot of 3600 – 4200 races, really long races, whereas 3200 is really at the top of our races. Septimus is not winning by big lengths in the 2800-3200 range I am starting to form the opinion Septimus is running against poor quality opposition.

Before I forget, LAND ‘N STARS Melbourne Cup 2006, beaten by Makybe Diva, to the respectable 7.5L but has not won a race since 2006 or really performed, unless you count 3rd in 5 horse races.

Godolphin finally have something to cheer about down under with All The Good winning the Caulfield Cup at 50-1. I was thinking all week that this was not going to be a race for the favouriates and that an outsider had a chance at taking this one out. I was super keen on Ice Chariot and Mad Rush as hopes but just pick the wrong guys. But having said that, Mad Rush by far and above anything else was finishing the best of any horse including the winner, a 2800 metre race and he storms home.

So the result was All The Good, Nom de Jeu and Barbaricus with Mad Rush for forth. Now I really face a delima as my system that you can get in the guide will have All The Good as the best foreign horse but I am totally hung up on Mad Rush after the Caulfield Cup run.

Ice Chariot I think was out classed or maybe even picked the wrong horse to follow into the race and then didn’t have enough when the go buttons needed to be pressed. You can see from the video below that at about the 600m mark Littorio comes to the outside but does not quite go at that stage and fades a bit before coming home for 5th, but if it had enough to keep going Ice Chariot was ready to follow but they both kind of stalled at the 400-600 mark with nothing really coming. Ice Chariot was still grinding away but has no turn of speed whereas Littorio kicked

Over the next few days, while sitting here in Tasmania over looking Constitution Dock I will put together my top four horses as it currently stands for the Melbourne Cup and we’ll see ow things stack up. The important thing to keep in mind is not to get caught up in all this and think about some horses outside of this race, the likes of Efficient, Zipping etc are still out there.

Otherwise, the Caulfield Cup has just confirmed everything that we knew about Weekend Hussler and some people did not want to believe. Weekend Hussler is a great 1600 metre runner, perhaps the best and should stick with that. Horses like Desert War, knew their place and dominated the EPSOM and that distance, I don’t think we’ll see Weekend Hussler in the Cox or Melbourne Cup and should be spelled to tackle more appropriate races in the Auntum like the Doncaster.

Here it is…The 2008 Caulfield Cup

G’day Racing Fans,

Just a few items that need addressing from last weekends racing. Dolphin Jo, who ran 5th in the 2007 Melbourne Cup, ran on well in the Winning Edge Presentation over 2400m to win and now sits about about $40 for the Melbourne Cup having hovered around $100+, could be some value given he is proven to run out the 3200m, reply of the race is below to review. Dolphin Jo beat home the Wolverine and Cafalu.

The other major race with Melbourne Cup interest was the Yalumba taken out by last years Caulfield Cup runner up Douro Valley at long odds mind you. I am very disappointed not to be on him as I was all over him this time last year in the lead up to the Caulfield Cup. Douro Valley was just able to keep grinding on over the last 200m to hold off Pompeii Ruler and Guillotine.

Winning Edge Presentation

Yalumba

So this leaves us this weekend with one of the major lead up races, the Caulfield Cup. This has been a good indication of form, while the last winner of the Caulfield Cup / Melbourne Cup Double was Ethereal in 2001 place getters have done well in the Melbourne Cup, the last being Delta Blues in 2006 who finished 2nd in the Caulfield Cup and obviously won the same year, the great mare Makybe Diva did the same in 2004.

List of Caulfeild Cup / Melbourne Cup doubles

Year Winner
1906 Poseidon
1937 The Trump
1939 Rivette
1954 Rising Fast
1962 Even Stevens
1966 Galilee
1982 Gurner’s Lane
1991 Let’s Elope
1995 Doriemus
1997 Might and Power
2001 Ethereal

Skipton won the 1941 Melbourne Cup as a 3YO and then won a division of the 1943 Caulfield Cup.

Rising Fast won the 1955 Caulfield Cup for second time to then run second in the 1955 Melbourne Cup.

Poseidon won a second Caulfield Cup in 1907.

So, this year Littorio is this years favourite to win the Caulfield Cup after upstaging the disappointing Weekend Hussler (2nd Fav) in the Turnbull and is equal $6.50 fav with Efficient and Septimus in the Melbourne Cup.

Personally I am only really interested in this years Caulfield Cup to see Melbourne Cup form but will have a stab at some value taking Ice Chariot who has been running well and hitting the line as the distance goes up for three 3rd placings, currrently, $41 and I’ve been getting $200 on betfair for the Melbourne Cup ($41 on TAB) and the other one I’ll be watching is Mad Rush with Damien Oliver on board, very similar to last years Melbourne Cup 2nd place getter Purple Moon, again, bloody Efficient!

So, the big question, who is going to win?

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Here we go! We are not only 4 weeks away to the Melboure Cup for 2008 and there is a massive days racing ahead of us tomorrow (or today as this is a late post) for the 4th October 2008.

The Turnbull Stakes at Flemington has an opportunity to over-shadow the main even in Sydney from a Melbourne Cup perspecitive, with last years Melbourne Cup winner Efficient taking on other Melbounre Cup hopefuls including, Zipping, Pompeii Ruller, Weekend Hussler (if we all at the same time wish it as a Christmas present), Master O’Rielly, Maldivian, Tuesday Joy and Zaritia. Weekend Hussler by far the favouriate here in this race, but pfft, for the Melbourne Cup who cares really, he won’t win or race.

Just as a note last years winner of the Turnbull was Devil Moon, who went on to claim 5th in the Cox Plate. In the Turnbull last year I am sure that you will note that it beat Melbourne Cup runners, Douro Valley, Zipping, Bluetigeroo, Efficient (who finished 11th! Last out of the Melb Cup runners in the Turnbull, sorry still so bitter) So…what does this mean for the Melbourne Cup? Nothing really, over the last 5 years I have not even used it as a guage for the Cup, so I guess just enjoy the race, but note that a lot of Cup runners are paticipating and one may just catch our eye. And ok, so the last horse to win the Turnbull and Melbourne Cup double was not that long ago in Makybe Diva…but before that you need to go back to 1991 with Let’s Elope. Doriemus was close but won the Melbourne Cup in 1995 and the Turnbull in the following year 1996. So not a lot of joy for Turnbull to Melbourne Cup winners. But if something is a superstar, lets say Tuesday Joy, the ride Beadman is coming back for, trounces Weekend Hussler, I’d be taking note!

Otherwise the main race to be watching is the Metropolitian in Sydney now not a lot to really report here, it was not run last year to the obvious EI reasons and the year before a horse called *cough* Tawqeet was the winner and we all know how his campaigned finished that year. Never-the-less, it will be interesting to see how Fiumicino goes, he has been performing well and getting a lot of miles in th legs for the Cup.

For myself however the horse to watch at the moment will br race #4 Number #1 Ice Chariot, the 2006 QLD Derby winner who I think is flying uner the radar this year and will surprise a lot of people come 4th November….

Otherwise tomorrow, there is a little horse called Samantha Miss running in the Flight Stakes…goes ok…

Check back here tomorrow for race replay’s I will be on it ASAP tomorrow…

Cheers
www.themelbournecupguide.com