THIS year's Melbourne Cup will have an international influence like never before with more than half the 24-horse field likely to be overseastrained or raced horses.
Officials are predicting the international numbers for the $6.2 million race on November 1 are likely to be in "double digits". When factoring in the fully-qualified former overseas horses now trained in Australia and bought for the Cup, it seems certain there will be a record low number of local contenders.
At the release of weights last week, only seven Australian-bred stayers were estimated to be weighted high enough to make it into the field. While others can make it through qualifying races, only Absolutely (at five kilograms under the benchmark
weight), Dreamaway (5.5kg), Playing God (5.5kg), Once Were Wild (5.5kg), Alcopop (6kg) , linton (6kg) and Trusting (6.5kg) were the Austi'alianbreds with the right credentials.
As many as 16 hopefuls are in quarantine. The first plane-load has arrived last week while the second wave should arrive on October 15.
Highly rated hopefuls such as December Draw, Glass Harmonium, My Kingdom Of Fife, Hawk Island, and Lloyd WIlliams's team including Midas Touch and Mourayan, as well as the US horse Unusual Suspect, are recent arrivals to Australia after beginning their careers elsewhere.
The Godolphin stable will decide soon if Cavalryman (55kg) and Lost In The Moment (53kg) make the trip.
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