Melbourne Cup: Irish Derby winner Latrobe no certainty as Team Williams wait on quarantine plans

LATROBE’S Melbourne Cup destiny continues to hang in the balance as Team Williams makes 11th hour contingency travel and quarantine plans for the Irish Derby winner.

Latrobe takes out the Irish Derby back in July. Picture: Getty.

LATROBE’S Melbourne Cup destiny continues to hang in the balance as Team Williams makes 11th hour contingency travel and quarantine plans for the Irish Derby winner.

Owners Lloyd and Nick Williams intend starting the TAB $17 chance Latrobe in the Cup, but those ambitions rest on the colt being able to travel to Australia on Thursday night (EDT) with stablemate Master Of Reality.

Latrobe takes out the Irish Derby back in July. Picture: Getty.

As things stand, there is no room at Werribee’s quarantine centre for Master Of Reality, but trainer Joseph O’Brien is keen for the horse to accompany Latrobe to Melbourne because of the pair’s close bond.

Nick Williams said it was uncertain if Master Of Destiny will be granted one of the eight spots at Werribee to be vacated by horses heading to local trainers on Saturday after completing 14-day quarantine terms.

“We don’t know yet, probably know later in the day,” Williams said.

“Latrobe could be paired with another horse at Werribee and Master Of Reality could do his quarantine at Broadmeadows.

“Latrobe’s not quirky, he’s just young. It’s a dangerous game to be travelling young horse to take these horses without their mates.

“It’s alright when you’ve got an eight-year-old gelding but when you’ve got a three-year-old colt you need to make sure you have a consistent environment.

Trainer Joseph O'Brien, with jockey Corey Brown after winning last year’s Melbourne Cup, wants LaTrobe’s mate to accompany him to Australia. Picture: Michael Klein

“We are also very wary about taking his mate away from him, so we need to get his mate on the plane.with him.”

Brenton Avdulla has been booked to ride Latrobe in the Melbourne Cup as Williams described the colt as a work in progress - with potential to be better than last year’s Cup winner Rekindling.

“He’s very different to Rekindling,” Williams said.

“This horse is still a work in progress.

“I think he has the potential to be a better horse than Rekindling.

“Rekindling was the perfect horse to travel as it turned out. He took everything in his stride, didn’t take a lot of work and was a natural stayer.

Rekindling won the Cup for Team Williams and Joseph O’Brien last year.

“This horse is going to be a very good four-year-old.

“Mentally he’s probably not quite as ready as Rekindling but having said that Joseph thinks that he’s really come on.

“I think you’ll see the best of him over a mile-and-a-half (2400m) whereas Rekindling is just a dead-set two-mile (3200m) horse.”