Wet weather welcomes European hopes
Along with stablemate Karen’s Caper, the John Gosden-trained Leo visited Belmont’s training track as howling winds and pouring rain forced changes to everybody’s work schedule.
With the turf track closed after 15 hours of relentless rain and the main track riding decidedly sloppy, Gosden chose to use the training track which he thought to be in better condition, despite the large number of puddles dotted across its surface.
“I just cantered them over about a mile and a half today and what they do for the rest of the week depends upon what the weather does, ” he said.
Gosden is to wait until later in the week before naming a jockey for his Breeders’ Cup Juvenile hope Leo, the winner of the Royal Lodge Stakes at Newmarket on his latest start.
But the uncertainty over the son of Pivotal is his ability to handle the dirt track. “I hope it isn’t going to be sloppy but he is a nice athletic horse with a good action so I am hopeful,” said Gosden.
Also fretting over the conditions today was Luca Cumani, who runs Alkaased in the Turf and dirt debutant Starcraft in the Classic. “I am very pleased with the horses but not so pleased with the weather,” he said.
With the forecast pointing towards better weather between now and the weekend, the quick-drying nature of the tracks could well mean that conditions are perfect by the day of the big race.
Of the Europeans, only the Aidan O’Brien-trained team have yet to arrive at Belmont, after Ouija Board and Majors Cast were unloaded and put straight into quarantine.
The French-trained runners and the John Oxx trained Azamour were allowed out of their quarantine yesterday morning after passing their blood tests and all bar Azamour immediately headed to the main track to stretch their legs.
Meanwhile, Carte Diamond has been ruled out of the Emirates Melbourne Cup after crashing through a running rail during track work yesterday morning.
The four-year-old was rounding a turn at Flemington racecourse when jockey Weichong Marwing slipped and fell from the saddle.
Carte Diamond continued galloping and crashed into the rail at the top of the straight, severing one of his hindquarters through a metal stake in the process.
The son of Theatrical came to a sudden halt with blood streaming down his limbs, where it was revealed he had suffered two deep lacerations to his hindquarters.
Brian Ellison’s colt will remain in Australia for treatment but it is not yet known whether the injury will be career threatening.
