Fawkner the horse to stop foreign clean sweep in Melbourne Cup

FAWKNER may be the horse to stop a foreign clean sweep of the spring majors after owner Lloyd Williams confirmed a Melbourne Cup start for the Cox Plate runner-up.

Cox Plate Races Cox plate Fawkner ridden by Nick Hall Picture:Wayne Ludbey

FAWKNER has emerged as the horse most likely to stop a foreign clean sweep of the spring majors after owner Lloyd Williams confirmed a Melbourne Cup start yesterday.

Internationally-trained runners have already enjoyed their best spring, with the Caulfield Cup (Japan) and Cox Plate (Ireland) heading overseas.

There has been no other year where they have won two of the majors and now with Admire Rakti (Japan), Protectionist (Germany) and Mutual Regard (Ireland) lurking at the top of Melbourne Cup markets, a clean sweep is looking more likely than not.

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Fawkner has returned in career-best form this season, lifting his Timeform rating to 125 on Saturday.

Ryan Moore riding Adelaide beats Nicholas Hall on Fawkner in the Cox Plate.

Last year he notched 121 in winning the Caulfield Cup before turning in one of the best efforts of the beaten division when sixth in the Melbourne Cup.

He rises 2.5kg this year, but it is effectively only a 0.5kg rise given weights have been scaled up 2kg.

While Admire Rakti is a dominant Cup favourite, it’s the Cox Plate and not the Caulfield Cup which has proven a better guide in recent years.

Viewed (2008) is the last Melbourne Cup winner to come through the Caulfield Cup, while both Fiorente and Green Moon came off the Cox Plate to win at Flemington.

Williams will also have Green Moon in the Melbourne Cup.

Nicholas Hall steers Fawkner to win the Caulfield Stakes this month.

Stablemate Sea Moon is expected to run in Saturday’s Lexus before a decision is made on him taking his place in the Cup field.

Moonee Valley Cup placegetter Au Revoir is currently inside the cut-off for the Melbourne Cup and will run provided he is not leapfrogged on Saturday.

The Mackinnon Stakes is likely to have a capacity field, with the likes of Side Glance, Happy Trails and Criterion backing up from the Cox Plate.

Caulfield Cup runner-up Rising Romance is also a confirmed runner, while Brambles is also expected to run.

The key to the Mackinnon will be Godolphin’s Contributer, last start winner of the David Jones Cup.

Fawkner (Nick Hall) in the Cox Plate.

If he doesn’t run on Saturday, he will be saved for the Emirates Stakes the following week.

Roger James yesterday ruled out a Melbourne Cup start for Silent Achiever, despite her running a near-career best in the Cox Plate.

Other confirmed Cup withdrawals are Dandino, Kirramosa, Hawkspur, Sertorius, Zanbagh, Noble Protector and Sangster.

Hugh Bowman has picked up the Cup ride on Junoob at the expense of the suspended Blake Shinn.

Bowman was unseated for the ride on the more fancied Mutual Respect by Damien Oliver when his suspension was up in the air last week.

Caulfield Cup withdrawal My Ambivalent will undergo a vet inspection tomorrow to determine if she can start in the Melbourne Cup.

Originally published as Fawkner the horse to stop foreign clean sweep in Melbourne Cup