Racing Victoria (RV), in conjunction with the Victoria Racing Club (VRC), on
Tuesday released nominations for the 2013 Melbourne Cup, while celebrating the
20th anniversary of international participation in the world’s most famous
staying race.
It was in 1993 that Dermot Weld’s Irish raider Vintage Crop broke new ground
when becoming the first internationally-trained starter and winner of
Australia’s most famous horse race. Over the past 20 years, there have been 101
internationally-trained starters with Media Puzzle (Ireland, 2002), Delta Blues
(Japan, 2006), Americain (France, 2010) and Dunaden (France, 2011) the other
visitors to have triumphed on the first Tuesday in November.
The Mikel Delzangles-trained Dunaden is one of 28 internationally-trained
nominees for this year’s A$6.2 million race — up from 23 in 2012 — with
past-winning trainers Dermot Weld and Alain de Royer Dupre both entering horses
once again.
Dunaden and defending champion, locally trained import Green Moon, headline a
total of 135 nominations for the 3200-meter showdown at Flemington on November
5. Only five horses have won the Cup more than once in its 152-year history:
Makybe Diva (2003-05), Think Big (1974-75), Rain Lover (1968-69), Peter Pan
(1932, 1934) and inaugural winner Archer (1861-62).
In releasing nominations, RV’s Executive General Manager-Racing, Greg
Carpenter, declared the quality of nominations was testament to the prestige of
the Melbourne Cup and the scene was set for a brilliant edition of ‘the race
that stops a nation.’
“The Melbourne Cup is the world’s premier staying race and the quality of the
local and international entries for this year’s race is outstanding,” Carpenter
said. “To have the past two winners in Green Moon and Dunaden, together with
representatives from most of Europe’s premier stables, amongst the nominations
is testimony to the stature of the Melbourne Cup on the world stage.
“For the first time in the Cup’s history, internationals account for more
than 20 percent of the total entries and the number of Northern Hemisphere-bred
entrants has risen above 50 percent which best illustrates the
internationalization of the race over the past two decades.
“Whilst the quality of the international nominees is impressive, we’re
equally pleased with the depth of talent amongst the locally-trained entrants
which includes three of the first four home in last year’s Melbourne Cup —
Green Moon, Fiorente and Kelinni.”
Hall of Fame legend Bart Cummings, now training in partnership with grandson
James, has just one entry in his pursuit of a 13th Cup. The Cummings’ have
entered veteran Precedence who has contested the past three Melbourne Cups
finishing eighth, 11th and ninth.
Weights for the Melbourne Cup will be released on September 17, with first
acceptances to be taken October 8.
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