Caulfield Cup

[Moffo]

Poor bugger as i said in the other thread

What a run it was yesterday from it.

 

[griffo346]

whats ur sorce on him being put down last i read was the where still saving him

hence this story

Trainer's plea to save champion horse
By Ray Thomas and Sharri Markson
October 16, 2005

TRAINER Lee Freedman begged vets to save the life of champion stayer Mummify after it broke a leg when finishing third in the Caulfield Cup yesterday.

Mummify, the 2003 Caulfield Cup winner, led until the final few bounds before being edged out by the John Hawkes-trained Railings and Japan's Eye Popper before a crowd of 52,000, the biggest Caulfield Cup turnout in 31 years.

A few strides past the post, it was obvious something was horribly wrong. Mummify pulled up abruptly, and jockey Danny Nikolic dismounted when it became clear that the gelding was very lame.

Freedman and race club veterinarians rushed to Mummify's side, where the initial prognosis was bleak.

"They (the veterinarians) wanted to put him down right there and then," Freedman said.

"I told them: 'No, try to save him. Do what you can, but try to save him."'

Mummify, the winner of nine races and more than $5 million in prizemoney, had shattered sesamoid bones in his near foreleg. He was rushed to a nearby equine hospital, where veterinarians were fighting to save his life last night.

"He's led until the last little bit," an obviously upset Freedman said. "He's almost gone out in the biggest blaze of glory yet."

Freedman, a four-time Caulfield Cup-winning trainer, credits Mummify with helping revive his training career and financial fortunes.


Advertisement:
Jockey Danny Nikolic was also extremely upset with Mummify's plight.
"He had given everything; physically, he had nothing left. He put his foot down and it was like a cap gun going off," Nikolic said.

The injury cast a pall over the race after Railings, ridden by Greg Childs, barnstormed home in the final 100m to give Hawkes his first Cup win.

Hawkes said he was happy to have won it for his friend Tony Pistikakis, the majority owner of Railings. The pair have 20 horses and have a 30-year history.

Pistikakis said he would give his share of the $1.5 million first-place money to his three grandchildren.

Even Railings' win, however, was tinged with sadness. Mr Pistikakis's wife, Rebecca, was at Melbourne's Royal Children's Hospital with her gravely ill 16-year-old nephew, Ben.

The Sunday Telegraph

 

[Moffo]

it was on the radio this morning, freedman was very emotional

 

[Nuffs]

great win from railings. great to see hawkesy win this one. it's a massive chance in the melb cup. and i loved leica falcons run in the cup and vowed to backed it in melb. i've now sobered up and it has no chance

 

[Macca_]

nuffs I'm interested to know why you give LF no chance... I thought it was a great cup trial. No weight in the big one and flemington will suit it perfectly... Given where they both came from in the run, you could make a case for it being a better trial for the big one then Railings was... Both big runs.

 

[Macca_]

One more point nuffs

Track bias was well in play too, so anything that made some ground on the day was a big run... Funlove (outside lead), Line Account (led), Volitant (led), Astronomia (led), Pendragon (handy), Activation (outside leader) & Jet Spur (Outside leader).

 

[steaming stormer]

What about Eye Popper??? Get it some cover in the big one and geez it will be hard to beat

 

[Nuffs]

the real backmarkers in the melb cup are disadvantaged. even g.boss has ridden the diva midfield in the last 2 cups because you have to be real lucky to come from the back, 8 wide around the corner and then chase down horses over 10 lengths ahead of you

but hey i've been wrong before

and just a note on some other cups horses.
vouvray and wild iris will not carry any of my money in the race.
ditto el segundo.
i'm still waiting for plastered to fire. he looks as though he'd love to run a 4000m race where there is no sprinting involved. if he produces the sprint shown in the derby last year, he'll be hard to beat.
railings was a good trial but that's 2 grand finals in a row. 3 is almost impossible. hawkes said he may give railings a "rest" to try and get some freshness in his legs

 

[Nuffs]

One more point nuffs

Track bias was well in play too, so anything that made some ground on the day was a big run... Funlove (outside lead), Line Account (led), Volitant (led), Astronomia (led), Pendragon (handy), Activation (outside leader) & Jet Spur (Outside leader).

i do acknowledge that the track was leader biased. still have my doubts about the run though. he'd have to run the race of his life to get even close. was the caulfield his peak run?

 

[Macca_]

the real backmarkers in the melb cup are disadvantaged. even g.boss has ridden the diva midfield in the last 2 cups because you have to be real lucky to come from the back, 8 wide around the corner and then chase down horses over 10 lengths ahead of you

Think you'll find she was well back in both. I have the tapes and as I'm a huge fan have watched them a number of times. She was 15len off them last year. Boss saved ground by coming back to the inside as most others fanned out across the track. He banked on luck with a run both times and got it.

Doesn't matter where you are in the run you alsways need luck in thses big races. I have no trouble backing a back marker and LF and Railings will both run well should they go round.

I hope your wrong re Vouvray and she is ok for the run. Ridden in her normal pattern she can still run a big one.

I'd noticed the track bias on the day and was getting worried. When they announced 5 minutes before that they were going forward I wasn't overly disappointed. But although Seamer had little luck, it wasn't executed very well at all. And it ended up being on the surface a bit of a gut buster.

The other thing too is that she has never raced forward like that. She has always sat off the pace when you look back through her starts in oz. In hindsite it was poor tactics. Seemed like a good idea at the time though I bet... Hope she pulls up ok.

 

[Macca_]

i do acknowledge that the track was leader biased. still have my doubts about the run though. he'd have to run the race of his life to get even close. was the caulfield his peak run?

Wouldn't imagine so. He has kept on improving each run. Only had the 5 runs this prep so should be able to put in one more. His dad rana botler in the cup as a 3yr old too. He only has to run up to his past 2 and he is well in with a shot.

I might ad I have no money on him. I just think he'll go very close should he get a run. He's coming through the grades just like MD did as a 2,3 and 4 year old. He's one to watch for sure.

 

[Nuffs]

i always thought that the diva was more midfield than back in the cups. i know last year she was on the rails because i was at the track praying she'd find the rails

maybe connections were playing a game with vouvray? avoiding penalties. although it was a gut buster as you say

and eye popper lived up to his name. he was on the outside rail most of the trip and still had the nerve to run 2nd. great trial. put an aussie jockey on him and watch him win

 

[Macca_]

Nah she was definately back like normal. Probably gave that impression cause it was a bigger field then normal when she is at the tail.

Stupid to play a game in my opinion. To much money on offer for finishing 2nd - 8th. Think they gambled with track bias and got burnt. Big time.

Yeah he'll be tough to beat (Eye Popper).

 

[Moffo]

Vouvray won't run, will it? it was a shocking run. Unless it was tanked

Same with Iris...no thanks in the cup

I won't back LF either. Who says it'll run 3200?

Too much doubt for mine. A 2400m horse and a 3200m horse can be quite a different prospect

 

[Tim Brasher]

If Leica Falcon gets a start he'll be in the finish. Have a look at the horse' sectionals and breeding lines...The horse will get 3200m, had the fastest last 200m time for the whole meeting CC day

 

[Macca_]

Vouvray won't run, will it? it was a shocking run. Unless it was tanked

If she pulled up ok she will run. It has been the main aim for 12 months. The run was only shocking because of the tactics and the ride. Which was bought on by the track bias. She has never sat on or been just behind the speed in her Australian career. She's better than that. Wasn't forced in the straight which is the only thing Seamer did well in the race. Hopefully she pulled up fine. Not as confident she can win the main one now, but she'll run a decent race.

Too much doubt for mine. A 2400m horse and a 3200m horse can be quite a different prospect

As Tim said, on sectionals and breeding alone you have to give it a chance. It was a very, very good cup trial. One of the best in recent times. I rate it with MD's from last year when she nearly got Elvstroem.

I've never bought into the thought of a 2400m horse being so different to a 3200m horse. Unless they have shown that to be the case and simply don't run the 3200m. The argument can be made about a number of runners every year. People said the same about MD in 2003.

As said, on breeding and sectionals it will run the trip no problem. No weight and with McEvoy now on board it will be a big chance if it gets in. I'm having some on.

 

[Moffo]

a lot of horses max out at 2400...elvestroem is a classic example

whilst others dont kick in until it is over 2000 and can go onto 3200

a lot of 2400 horses aren't 3200 horses IMO

 

[Macca_]

You are correct. But what I was getting at is you don't find that out till they have been tried. And at this time of year going into a Melbourne Cup there is always some that fit this category.

LF has breeding on his side to stay he'll run it strong. His sectionals at the end of a 2400m say he will run it strong. And anything that can make a run like that on the weekend from last in a Group 1 on a track that had favoured leaders all day has to be considered a big chance to run a strong 3200m.

I see where your coming from mate, and there are those to put in the category. But I don't think LF will be. He'll be one that goes the trip. Whatever he does should he geta run, I'll be backing him in early markets for next years Melb Cup.

 

[Macca_]

Just want to put this on record

2006 Caulfield Cup - Matras.

Was talking about her a couple of starts back for this. They did have her nominated for this years too, but didn't push that way in the end. Will be very interested in her next run or 2 this prep (maybe only 1). And also a prep they have over the autumn from a Cups point of view for next year. Will be taking the early fixed odds

 

[Nuffs]

i dare say very similar to a diva a few years ago

what's the 2500m race on oaks day or stakes day for her?