Melbourne Cup 2020: Anthony Van Dyck heads to Flemington in career peak form after hot run
International handicappers say the Aidan O’Brien-trained Anthony Van Dyck will go into next Tuesday’s Melbourne Cup on the back of a personal best performance in the Caulfield Cup.
It’s almost official. Irish stayer Anthony Van Dyck will go into next Tuesday’s Melbourne Cup in career-best form.
Anthony Van Dyck won last year’s Epsom Derby for Irish trainer Aidan O’Brien but the panel of official international handicappers say the stallion went to a new peak in the Caulfield Cup.
Anthony Van Dyck earned a rating of 119 for his Epsom Derby win but arrived in Australia rated 121 for his second to Godolphin star Ghaiyyath in the Group 1 Coronation Cup in England in June.
However, Racing Victoria’s chief handicapper Greg Carpenter said Anthony Van Dyck achieved an international rating of 122 when beaten a short neck by Verry Elleegant in the Caulfield Cup.
Carpenter said that figure was subject to official confirmation at the end of year meeting of the world’s official handicappers.
Verry Elleegant earned an international rating of 116 as she carried 3.5kg less than Anthony Van Dyck in the Caulfield Cup.
Carpenter noted Anthony Van Dyck earned the same rating as French galloper Dunaden for his win in the 2012 Caulfield Cup.
Recent Caulfield Cup winners Admire Rakti, Mongolian Khan and Best Solution all earned ratings of 121 for their respective Caulfield Cup wins.
“So it is a race where horses produce world class performances,” Carpenter said.
Verry Elleegant received a half-kilogram penalty for the Melbourne Cup, which could narrow the gap between the pair.
TAB can’t split the duo, posting both Verry Elleegant and Anthony Van Dyck as $11 chances.
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Originally published as Melbourne Cup 2020: Anthony Van Dyck heads to Flemington in career peak form after hot run
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