Caulfield and Melbourne Cups in play for exciting Doomben Cup weapon

The Annabel Neasham-trained Fawkner Park is an exciting stayer on the rise and Saturday’s Group 1 Doomben Cup could be just the start of a big Group 1 Cups agenda.

Fawkner Park heads to the barriers for the Australian Cup Prelude at Flemington in March. Picture: George Sal / Racing Photos

The Group 1 Doomben Cup is right in the wheelhouse of Irish import Fawkner Park on Saturday, but connections are tipping there might soon be some even more important Cups on the agenda.

As in, the Caulfield and potentially even the Melbourne Cup.

The one-time Joseph O’Brien trained galloper made his debut in Ireland in 2022 but has been a Cups collector in his recent career in Australia for Annabel Neasham.

With his trademark barnstorming finishes, five-year-old Fawkner Park has won the Listed Wagga and Albury Cups (both 2000m) at his past two starts – and he now he gets to take on Group 1 league.

Fawkner Park is rated an $11 chance to score a Group 1 at his first attempt and managing owner Nathan Bennett, whose colours the gelding carries, is convinced he is a “big chance” in the 2000m race.

FAWKNER PARK wins the Wagga Wagga Gold Cup!@G1TySchil and @ANeashamRacing complete the Albury and Wagga Cup double as the import sweeps home from last to beat Political Debate and Taramansour in the Big Dance 💃 eligible race at @mtcwagga. @tabcomaupic.twitter.com/XBe8DgGEzm

— Racing NSW (@racing_nsw) May 3, 2024

• Runner-by runner analysis: Group 1 Doomben Cup

The Doomben Cup assault could be the springboard to even bigger fish to fry in the Victorian spring.

“We would absolutely love to get him into the Caulfield Cup,” Bennett said.

“And I think he would get two miles (Melbourne Cup).

“If you ride him quiet and there’s pace on, I could see him storming home down the outside.

“When he was purchased, he was purchased to be a Cox Plate or Caulfield Cup or Melbourne Cup horse, that was always what we thought.

“He only had three starts overseas, he was this big and raw horse who didn’t know what he was doing.

“But he had this big finishing turn of foot which we’ve seen in Australia now too at pretty much every one of his wins.

“He flies home and he can hold a long, sustained run as well.”

Fawkner Park’s managing owner Nathan Bennett. Picture: Brad Fleet

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Fawkner Park has been patiently taken through the grades by Neasham, kicking off his Australian career last year when scoring a BM64 race over 1500m at Kembla Grange.

He is expected to give the Doomben Cup a shake on Saturday but it was only 12 months ago he was winning a modest Class 3 race at the Doomben midweeks.

“He came to Australia as a 64-rater and so I thought we could win a lot of prizemoney along the way and get his rating up,” Bennett said.

“We took him to Kembla first start and he was about 20 lengths last on the turn and showed that turn of foot and beat them.

“We immediately thought this is a very good horse, they don’t generally do that.

“I think he is a big chance in the Doomben Cup.

“He has won both the Albury and Wagga Cups and he’s won them pretty convincingly.

“He has shown he is well above Listed level.

“If there’s a bit of pace on and he gets a good spot and Tyler Schiller lets him settle, he can unleash that big turn of foot on Saturday. “Hopefully they are coming down the middle and I’m sure he will give us a chance in the last 200(m).”

Fawkner Park wins the Albury Gold Cup! 🏆@[e-mail]/nEP6MKtT1S

— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) March 22, 2024

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The only blot in Fawkner’s Park’s copybook in recent times was when he finished fourth in the Australian Cup Prelude (1800m) at Flemington and was beaten more than three lengths.

He was hard to control for rider Blake Shinn that day but Bennett said an issue surfaced post-race when the galloper was found to have a sore chest muscle.

“The soreness was on the right side, so whether he was ducking in due to that, we are not quite sure,” he said.

“He still ran a big race that day and Blake Shinn was fighting against him all the way down the straight.”

Originally published as Caulfield and Melbourne Cups in play for exciting Doomben Cup weapon