NEWS
Filly Ethereal leads field of 23 in Melbourne Cup
Posted: Sunday, November 04, 2001
With the field of 24 reduced by one after the scratch of Universal Prince, the filly Ethereal, winner of the Caulfield Cup (Aus-G1) in October, is expected to be favored for the prestigious $1,865,794 Melbourne Cup (Aus-G1) on Tuesday at Flemington.A four-year-old daughter of 1989 Eclipse Award-winning two-year-old colt Rhythm, New Zealand-bred Ethereal edged out multiple Group 1 winner Sky Heights by a nose in the Caulfield Cup to go along with a victory in the Queensland Oaks (Aus-G1) this summer. Seven days prior to her game victory in the Caulfield Cup, Ethereal was beaten by eventual Cox Plate (Aus-G1) winner Northerly in the Yalumba Stakes (Aus-G1) by 1¾-lengths.
Four Northern Hemisphere-based runners are in the field, including a pair from the Godolphin Racing stable. Trainer Saeed bin Suroor will send out Give the Slip and Marienbard in the two-mile marathon for Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum.
Give the Slip has primarily been used this year as a pacesetter for stablemate and Breeders' Cup Turf (G1) winner Fantastic Light, and he has failed to hit the board in four straight starts against Group 1 company in Europe. The lone victory this season for the four-year-old son of 1985 Epsom Derby (G1) winner Slip Anchor came in the Dubai City of Gold Stakes (UAE-G3) Nad al Sheba.
Marienbard, winner of the Yorkshire Cup (Eng-G2) back in May, ran third in the Irish St. Leger Stakes (Ire-G1) at the Curragh in his previous start on September 15. The four-year-old son of Caerleon earlier this year ran second behind last season's Prix du Jockey-Club (French Derby [G1]) winner Holding Court in the Grand Prix de Deauville (Fr-G2) at Deauville in August.
The pair will represent the fourth attempt at the Melbourne Cup for Godolphin. Suroor said this weekend that the pair worked well on Saturday, but it may take some light rains "to take the sting out of the ground" for the duo to have a legitimate shot. On Saturday, the Flemington course was listed as "good," which would generally equate to a "firm" course in Europe.
"We would prefer good going and Marienbard would certainly have a better chance on good to soft," Suroor told Racing Post. "This is the fourth time we have tried to win the Cup and we hope that the two horses will run big races."
Big Pat has been made the 9-to-2 second choice on the morning line based on wins this year in the South Australian Derby (Aus-G1) and Cadbury St. Leger Stakes (Aus-G1). The four-year-old gray son of Australian multiple group winner Full and By finished ninth in the Caulfield Cup in his previous outing for trainer Peter Tulloch and has yet to beat older horses in five starts.
Eight-year-old gelding Persian Punch will likely be making his final start in a distinguished career that includes eight group stakes wins. The son of 1988 English highweight Persian Heights won the Goodwood Cup (Eng-G2) and Lonsdale Stakes (Eng-G2) earlier this year and enters off a fourth-place finish to Vinnie Roe in the Irish St. Leger in September.
The field was reduced to 23 when veterinary stewards scratched Universal Prince, the 13-to-2 second choice, on Tuesday morning.
The field, in post-position order with riders and morning-line odds:
1. f-Rum, C. Munce, 20-to-1;
2. Mr. Prudent, Craig Williams, 33-to-1;
3. Prophet's Kiss, B. York, 25-to-1;
4. Pasta Express, D. Nikolic, 50-to-1;
5. Kaapstad Way, N. Rawiller, 12-to-1;
6. Marienbard, Frankie Dettori, 15-to-1;
7. Caitano (GB), Johnny Murtagh, 25-to-1;
8. Big Pat, P. Mertens, 9-to-2;
9. f-Maythehorsebewithyou, J. Patton, 20-to-1;
10. Persian Punch, T. R. Quinn, 12-to-1;
11. f-Spirit of Westbury, R. S. Dye, 33-to-1;
12. Ethereal, S. Seamer, 4-to-1;
13. f-Celestial Show, R. McLeod, 15-to-1;
14. Give the Slip, Richard Hills, 25-to-1;
15. Inaflury, B. Prebble, 20-to-1;
16. f-Reenact, L. V. Cassidy, 50-to-1;
17. Curata Storm, Greg Childs, 50-to-1;
18. f-Karasi, G. Boss, 33-to-1;
19. Hill of Grace, C. Brown, 12-to-1;
20. Sky Heights, D. Oliver, 15-to-2;
21. Yippyio, D. Beadman, 12-to-1;
22. f-Rain Gauge, K. McEvoy, 15-to-2; and
23. Freemason, D. Gauci, 25-to-1.
