Monday, September 13, 2010

Sports World

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Kitz Melbourne Cup bid in doubt Posted: 13 Sep 2010 08:45 AM PDT Leading Emirates Melbourne Cup 2010 hope Meiner Kitz is now an uncertain contender for Australia's most prestigious race in early November after suffering an unspecified setback during training, writes Elliot Slater. The tremendously popular Japanese stayer has amassed total career prize money of a stunning £2,700,000 and had been expected to be amongst the leading contenders for this year's renewal of the Flemington two-mile spectacular for which he was generally available at odds of around 25/1. The seven-year-old son of Chief Braveheart pulled up lame after a training session on Thursday and it remains to be seen whether or not he will be fit enough to be shipped to Australia on the intended date of September 20. Winner of Japan's leading stayers' event, the Grade 1 Tenno Sho at Kyoto last year, Meiner Kitz finished runner-up in this year's renewal and had been expected to be well suited to the track and likely conditions for the Melbourne Cup. Japanese raiders for the Australian showpiece are taken very seriously these days since the tremendous 1-2 finish for the nation when their Delta Blues beat countryman Pop Rock by a short-head to win the 2005 Melbourne Cup at odds of 17/1. Ireland's Ascot Gold Cup winner Rite of Passage, trained by Dermot Weld remains a general 14/1 favourite with most European firms, with stable companion Profound Beauty (16/1), next in the list. Luca Cumani, who has gone so close to winning the race in recent runnings with Bauer and Purple Moon, was clearly delighted with the brave success of his Drunken Sailor who got the better of Bergo by a short-head in the listed March Stakes at Goodwood. Local betting firms reacted coolly however to the performance with the Tendulkar gelding remaining on general offer at 33/1 in the Melbourne Cup odds.

Popular Alcopop building up to repeat Melbourne Cup bid Posted: 13 Sep 2010 08:41 AM PDT Talented local stayer Alcopop is to begin his build-up to another crack at the two-mile Emirates Melbourne Cup with a race over just seven furlongs as he prepares to improve on last year's sixth place finish went sent off favourite for Australia's biggest sporting occassion, writes Elliot Slater. The six-year-old son of 1994 Melbourne Cup winner Jeune proved one of the revelations of last season as he rapidly progressed through the ranks, winning the Balaklava Cup over a mile, the JRA Cup over a mile-and-a-quarter, and the Herbert Power Stakes over a mile-and-a-half. His burgeoning popularity saw punters plunge on the Jake Stephens-trained gelding who was eventually sent off the 15/4 favourite and held every chance 100yards out before being unable to quicken in the closing stages, in the race won by 9/1 shot Shocking. Alcopop had been expected to make his seasonal bow earlier this month in the Spring Stakes but was found to have a mild infection and is now set to return to thee fray at Morphetville in the seven furlong Penny Stakes. The Sydney-based charge is then expected to move across to Melbourne where his training will be geared to take in the Caulfield Cup as well as the Melbourne Cup. Running smart staying handicappers over seven furlongs might appear a curious tactic to those familiar with British racing, but the policy has been tried and tested over the years as local trainers endeavour to inject a finishing kick into their horses knowing that even at the end of the two-mile feature event horses must be able to quicken to land the spoils. Alcopop, a 40/1 chance with most Melbourne Cup betting firms, is available at a tempting 47 on Betfair to improve on last season's fine effort.

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