First the Loch Ness Monster, now the Melbourne Cup?

Ben Dorries - Sunday October 15

Scotland has had Braveheart and the Loch Ness Monster but has never had a runner in Melbourne's spring racing carnival.

Advertisement
Nakeeta will be more famous in Scotland than the Loch Ness monster if Iain Jardine's stayer wins the Melbourne Cup

Until now.

Draped in the British Union Jack, the Iain Jardine trained Nakeeta arrived in Melbourne on Saturday and is likely to do some light work at Werribee on Monday morning.

Nakeeta, a $41 Melbourne Cup prospect, won the Ebor Handicap in August and is aiming to plot a similar path to last year's Ebor winner Heartbreak City.

Heartbreak City came within a neck of winning the Melbourne Cup last year when the Irish gelding ran second behind Almandin.

Jardine told the Daily Mail in the UK he had taken heart from Heartbreak City's huge performance in the 2016 Melbourne Cup.

"Heartbreak City nearly won the Melbourne Cup last year, we have the same weight (53kg) and we won the Ebor in a slightly faster time," Jardine said.

Nakeeta, the first horse trained in Scotland set to compete in the spring carnival, was one of five international horses that arrived in Melbourne on Saturday. The other four were Irish gallopers.

Joining Nakeeta at Racing Victoria's Werribee International Horse Centre were the Joseph O'Brien trained duo US Army Ranger and Rekindling, as well as Willie Mullins' pair Max Dynamite and Thomas Hobson.

Rekindling, owned by Lloyd Williams, will be the first spring carnival runner for O'Brien who is the son of Aidan O'Brien.

Aidan O'Brien had a good day on Saturday with Irish horse Johannes Vermeer zooming into Caulfield and Melbourne Cup contention with a fast finishing second behind Gailo Chop in the Group I Ladbrokes Stakes.

The latest crop of internationals will do some light work on Monday but nothing serious until next week.

Advertisment
More Reading...
Princess Winner Takes All Too Hard to 30 Stakes Winners
Highlighted as a Brednet One To Watch when breaking her maiden in February, the David Vandyke trained Philia (All Too Hard) has added a further two wins including a facile two length victory in the Listed Princess Stakes (1600m) at Eagle Farm.
Travis Stakes Redemption for Val Di Zoldo
Val Di Zoldo’s victory in the Gr.2 Travis Stakes (2000m) at Te Rapa on Saturday showed what a difference a year can make.
Expensive I Am Invincible Mare Wins G1 Sangster
The highest priced filly at the 2022 Magic Millions Yearling Sale when selling for $1.55million, I Am Invincible filly Charm Stone has been a star from day one and that translated to Group I success in Adelaide on Saturday when she swooped from the clouds to win the $1million Group I SAJC Robert Sangster Stakes (1200m).
Sires With Winners - Saturday April 26
Here is the full list of 102 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
Kiwi Bred Tenzing wins Listed Brisbane Mile
New Zealand-bred gelding Tenzing took his career to new heights with a first black-type win in Saturday’s A$300,000 Listed Jones & Co IGA Brisbane Mile (1600m) at Eagle Farm.
First Stakes Winner For I Am Immortal
Putting the writing on the wall last time out when a narrow second in the Listed Port Adelaide Guineas (1800m), the Philip Stokes trained Athanatos appreciated the step up in trip, winning the Group 3 SAJC Chairman’s Stakes (2000m) to become the first stakes winner for Swettenham Stud's I Am Immortal.
First Stakes Win for Betty Spaghetti
Local trainer Anna Furlong played a starring role at Riccarton on Saturday with a winning treble, headlined by Betty Spaghetti’s first black-type success in the Listed Daphne Bannan Memorial Great Easter Stakes (1400m).
G1 Goodwood Next for Capitalist Colt
Capitalist colt Reserve Bank scored his first stakes win in the Listed SAJC Redelva Stakes two weeks ago and took another leap forward with a dominant win in the Group II SAJC Tobin Bronze Stakes (1200m) at Morphettville on Saturday.
Third Group 1 winner for Manhattan Rain
Emotions were flowing at Morphettville as the favourite Benagil, previously trained in partnership between Michael Moroney and Glen Thompson, was simply too classy for her rivals, winning the $1m Group 1 Australasian Oaks (2000m).
Gold Cup Hero Delivers Another Milestone for Kincaid
Riviera Rebel has been a special horse for rookie trainer Brooke Kincaid, who had her first taste of black-type success in Saturday’s Gr.3 Coca-Cola Canterbury Gold Cup (2000m) at Riccarton.