Cumani buoyed by Bauer form

Luca Cumani feels Bauer could have the strongest chance of his three potential Emirates Melbourne Cup runners – provided the grey makes the cut for next Tuesday’s race.

The 2008 runner-up sits 29th on the list for Australia’s premier event, although his chance of making it up to the magic number 24 will be helped by the fact Cumani is to withdraw stablemate Sahara Sun, who ran disappointingly in the Bendigo Cup on Wednesday afternoon.

Manighar and Drunken Sailor are already ensconced in the field, while Bauer could do with a slice of luck as he missed last year’s race at the last minute when suffering from a hoof problem.

A winner of the Old Borough Cup at Haydock in September, the eight-year-old has been Down Under for a while now and finished a close sixth in the Herbert Power Stakes at Caulfield before managing an eyecatching third to Dunaden in last week’s Geelong Cup.

After watching his three runners complete a light workout at their base in Werribee, on the outskirts of Melbourne, during Thursday morning, Cumani said: “I think he’s very well. As you saw in the Herbert Power and the Geeling Cup, he ran two excellent races.

“He’s a fit horse and he’s ready to go on Tuesday if he gets in.

“Sahara Sun is out of the race as he didn’t run well enough. I don’t know why, as we were hopeful of a big run.

“Bauer has got history with the Melbourne Cup. We know he likes Flemington and I think he’d be our best chance if he gets in.

“He went within a pixel of winning three years ago and with a bit of luck he would have won it.

“I feel he’s in the same shape as he was.”

Cumani was also second in the 2007 Melbourne Cup with Purple Moon and has a yearning desire to lift the prize.

Drunken Sailor was disappointing in two runs in Australia last year, but took a Group Three at Goodwood in the summer and ran a fair seventh in the Caulfield Cup.

Manighar, the mount of Damien Oliver and seventh in last year’s Melbourne Cup, was fourth in the same Caulfield race having filled that position in the Gold Cup at Royal Ascot.

“We tried some blinkers on Manighar and he seemed to like his new hat, so he’s going to wear it on Tuesday,” Cumani continued.

“Drunken Sailor never does anything (on the gallops) and always makes me look a fool.

“We need quite a few to drop out but if Bauer gets in then Dwayne Dunn will switch to him and Kieren Fallon will fly over to ride Drunken Sailor.”

Kerrin McEvoy dropped into the overseas quarantine centre in Werribee to acquaint himself with his Emirates Melbourne Cup mount Modun.

Godolphin’s new recruit, who showed progressive form in eight outings for Sir Michael Stoute and won his most recent start in the September Stakes at Kempton, went for a fairly serious solo spin over seven furlongs.

Trainer Saeed bin Suroor also has Lost In The Moment running and with his jockey William Buick not in Australia yet, the five-year-old had his own gallop over the same distance under his usual work-rider.

“He felt good,” said McEvoy.

“I hadn’t sat on him before but he felt like a horse who had travelled over to Australia well.

“We did a nice, solid seven furlongs, and I’m happy going forward to Tuesday.

“He’s going to have to adapt to our style of racing where position is paramount.

“Whether he’s seasoned enough for this race over two miles I don’t know, but he’s a horse with some quality and that can overcome the fact he’s lightly raced.

“In my experience, a horse with UK form over a mile and a half can stack up right over two miles on an Aussie track.”

Bin Suroor added: “Both horses are in good form.

“The Melbourne Cup, Japan Cup and Kentucky Derby are probably the three biggest races which Godolphin would like to win now and we think these two are the right horses for Australia.

“In the past we have run some nice horses in the race, some have been unlucky and some have been second.

“It’s a very hard race to win but hopefully we’ll see a good result.”

Among the others to be out and about were the Ed Dunlop-trained Red Cadeaux, Mark Johnston’s pair of Fox Hunt and Jukebox Jury, and last year’s winner Americain, who collected a Group Two at Moonee Valley last weekend.

Colleen Bamford, one of the part-owners of French star Americain, also recently bought into Jukebox Jury.

She was present in the Melbourne suburbs to watch the pair put through their paces.

“Americain is a true champion and he got over his last run quicker than any other run so far,” she said.

“It was a dream come true last year and to be back with two horses with really good chances, well, it’s all a bit too much.

“Americain is a bigger, stronger horse than 12 months ago, although he’s carrying a lot more weight this time.

“Jukebox Jury looks beautiful and I couldn’t be happier with him, either.

“A lot depends on what happens on the day. They are both in the weights and I’d say Americain is probably the horse to beat, but Jukebox Jury will be right up there with him.”

Christophe Lemaire could be on standby for the ride on Dunaden, should his intended jockey Craig Williams fail in an appeal against suspension on Friday.

Dunaden arrived in Australia with little fanfair, despite showing some decent early season form for trainer Mikel Delzangles in his native France, but rose to immediate prominence when Williams steered him to an impressive success in last week’s Geelong Cup.

However, Williams was handed a 10-meeting ban for causing interference when riding in a handicap in Bendigo on Wednesday and must hope for clemency from the officials.

It was originally thought the appeal would be heard on Monday, but that has now been brought forward.

Dunaden is now owned by Sheikh Fahad al-Thani’s Pearl Bloodstock operation and the team’s representative in Australia, Geoffrey Faber, said: “As I understand it, he will be OK to ride but there’s plenty of speculation that might not be the case and it could be 50-50.

“I’ve spoken to the racing manager in England and he wants me to find a couple of options.

“Mikel wants to use a French jockey that’s ridden him before, and Christophe Lemaire, who happens to be in Japan at the moment, has done.

“If we can’t get Christophe to come and ride him it’s a concern having somebody on him for the first time.

“Craig committed to ride the horse in both races so it’s a blow if he can’t ride.”