Racing
Entries taken for Spring features
A touch of spring is in the air with Caulfield Cup and Cox Plate nominations having closed.
The spring campaign of Treasurethe Moment is set to kick-off with a jump-out at Mornington as trainer Matt Laurie and the Yulong team ponder which race to target with the mare.
Treasurethe Moment features among the nominations for the Caulfield Cup (2400m) on October 18 and the Cox Plate (2040m) at Moonee Valley on October 25 after they closed on Tuesday.
A total of 146 entries, including 12 from overseas, were received for the Caulfield Cup while there was 108 for the Cox Plate, including 11 internationals.
Those figures represent a decline from last year's entries when 173 (36 overseas) were nominated in the Caulfield Cup and 137 (20 overseas) in the Cox Plate.
Treasurethe Moment, who won both the VRC Oaks and the ATC Australian Oaks last season, will have her first-up jump-out in preparation for her return at Mornington on Wednesday.
Laurie is planning to start the mare first-up in the Memsie Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield on August 30 before heading to the Makybe Diva Stakes (1600m) at Flemington on September 13 and then the Turnbull Stakes (2000m) at Flemington on October 4.
"She's already got a great win record, but it will be interesting to see how she handles herself against this next lot of opposition," Laurie said.
"She'll kick off in the Memsie, then the Makybe Diva, Turnbull and then a decision whether it will be the Caulfield Cup or the Cox Plate.
"Ultimately it will be the Yulong team's decision, but I think whichever we go will be suitable.
"I think she would be happier on a bigger track, so that may come into it, but obviously, the Cox Plate is going to attract a crack field which may leave the Caulfield Cup as a better target for her ultimately, but we'll just have to see how the preparation unfolds.
"Either way, the races we have mapped out for her will prep her really well for either race.
"She's won twice at 2000 (metres) really well and she's bumped that up to 2400 and 2500 (metres) and that's been no problem also.
"She's just an ultimate talent."
Laurie said the pressure was off with three Group 1 wins having been won.
"I'm excited about this preparation as there will be a little less pressure coming into this," he said.
"She was the standout three-year-old filly, and she achieved everything we set her for.
"I think this time we can enjoy it a bit more and hopefully she will continue and be able to nail a Group 1 against the older bracket.
"She couldn't look any better at this stage of her prep.
"Most of the horses are still sporting a wintry looking coat but she looks like she's well into the spring already.
"Everything indicates she has come back well."
Laurie has also entered his unbeaten two-year-old from last season Vinrock in the Cox Plate who is being aimed at the Group 1 Golden Rose (1400m) at Rosehill in September.
Trainer Chris Waller dominates the nominations across both races.
The Waller stable has 32 horses entered in the Caulfield Cup including Buckaroo, Land Legend and Valiant King who all contested the race last year and 29 in the Cox Plate, which makes up almost 27% of the entry and includes last year's dominant winner Via Sistina.
Australia's leading trainer for the season just completed, Ciaron Maher, has 25 entries in the Caulfield Cup, including last year's winner Duke De Sessa, but that number drops to seven for the Cox Plate.
Leading the international entry for the Caulfield Cup is Joseph O'Brien with four nominations – Al Riffa, Galen, Sons And Lovers and Trustyourinstinct, while his father Aidan O'Brien has Mount Kilimanjaro entered in both the Caulfield Cup and Cox Plate along with Bedtime Story, Diego Velazquez and Whirl for the Cox Plate only.
Check out the latest Singapore News