The world's best stayer, Stradivarius, might not be coming to contest this year's Melbourne Cup – but Torcedor, the horse who has twice this season got within a length of the champion in Europe is set to make his presence felt.
His new owners, Australian Bloodstock, are confident that the former Irish-trained galloper will follow in the footsteps of their previous Melbourne Cup winner, Protectionist, and give them a day to remember at Flemington on the first Tuesday in November.
Active players in the European market, Australian Bloodstock have had their winners and losers, but with horses such as Protectionist and Big Duke (fourth in last year's Melbourne Cup) they have enjoyed plenty of success on the big stage.
Owners Australian Bloodstock hope Torcedor can follow in Protectionist footsteps and win this year’s Melbourne Cup.
And in Torcedor – whom they shifted to Protectionist's German trainer, Andreas Wohler, after buying him from Jessica Harrington's Irish yard – they believe they have just the right type of horse to succeed this year.
The son of Australian sire Fastnet Rock will go into the first shipment of European horses who leave quarantine to travel to Australia.
They are expected to arrive here on grand final day when they will go to the Werribee centre that houses all the international Cups raiders.
The six-year-old ran third to Stradivarius, beaten just a length, in the Ascot Gold Cup over 4000 metres and then got to within half-a-length of him in the 3200-metre Goodwood Cup. Last year he also got to within half-a-length of the previous Gold Cup winner, the Lloyd Williams-owned Order of St George, in the Long Distance Cup on Ascot's Champions Day.
A game sort who likes to get out in front and set the pace, he should be suited to Australian race conditions: local staying races are often run at a muddling pace, and if his rider can get him into the lead Torcedor, who has proven his ability over long distances, will be able to set fractions which will sap the stamina of his rivals.
Harrington's stable jockey Colm O'Donohue has experience of Flemington, having ridden European-trained outsider Jakkalberry into third place in Green Moon's Melbourne Cup in 2012.
But Australian Bloodtock's Jamie Lovett says as yet no decision has been made on whether O'Donohue will be offered the ride or a local pilot take the mount.
''He will probably get about 56 kilos, so there will be no shortage of high-quality riders able to do the weight if we go that way. I have had a lot of jockey agents on the phone enquiring already,'' Lovett said.
''We are excited about this horse. He is a six-year-old but he has only had 20 starts so we think there is still improvement to come.
"He's only won at group 3 level, but he has been right at the top rank of European stayers and he would only have to run to that level to be a big player. I don't think he will be unfairly treated in the handicap.
"That Ascot and Goodwood form would have him competitive in any Melbourne Cup ever run.''
''We gave him a week to settle in with Andreas, but he has now done a good piece of work. Next he will go to Newmarket (the quarantine centre for European challengers) and then be on the first shipment out.
''We have had a lot of luck with Andreas and he has also had a lot of success in his own right. ''
Australian Bloodstock has several other Cup irons in the fire.
On Saturday, the Darren Weir-trained Red Cardinal, an import who was previously trained by Wohler in Germany, will continue his preparation in the Dato Tan Chin Nam Stakes at Moonee Valley.
''He came out of his run in the Melbourne Cup last year (when he was 11th behind Rekindling) with a knee chip so he has been on the comeback trail,'' Lovett said of the six-year-old, who finished last of 16 behind Showtime in his first run in almost a year in the PB Lawrence Stakes at Sandown.
Big Duke, another inmate of the Weir stable, ran a tremendous fourth in last year's Melbourne Cup and he has been a money spinner for Lovett's group as he also won the group 2 Chairman's Handicap in Sydney in the autumn of 2017 before running third in the Sydney Cup.
''He has given us a great run and has just kept raising the bar. He was sore coming out of the Melbourne Cup and we gave him a good break. If we get him back to his best he will be competitive and is a top-five chance.''
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