‘The quick back-up has worked before’: Is Zardozi the forgotten horse in the 2024 Melbourne Cup?

James Cummings is confident his star staying mare Zardozi is ready to run the race of her life in Tuesday’s $8m Melbourne Cup (3200m).

James Cummings believes Zardozi (blue silks) is a live chance in Tuesday’s Melbourne Cup. Picture: Vince Caligiuri / Getty Images

James Cummings is confident his star staying mare Zardozi is ready to run the race of her life in Tuesday’s $8m Melbourne Cup (3200m).

Zardozi was the only Melbourne Cup runner this year to run on the opening day to the Flemington carnival, and the way the four-year-old mare hit the line in the Group 1 Empire Rose Stakes (1600m) left Cummings beaming.

Last year’s VRC Oaks winner hit the line superbly, finishing fifth, and beaten only two-and-a-half lengths by Chris Waller’s winner Atishu.

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“She ran beautifully in that race, she made up good ground and stormed through the line in the form of a really good in-form stayer,” Cummings said after the race.

“Look, I would have loved to have won the race. But Zardozi ran beautifully the way the race was set up, and I loved her work through the line.”

Cummings was using a technique that his grandfather Bart used for 11 of his 12 Cup winners, having them compete on the Saturday before backing up on the Tuesday.

He believes it will suit Zardozi who ran second in the Wakeful Stakes last year on Derby Day before returning on the Thursday to win the VRC Oaks.

What a finish 😮‍💨

ATISHU comes from nowhere to take out the TAB Empire Rose Stakes.

🎥 @wwos | #DerbyDay | #MelbCupCarnivalpic.twitter.com/G6Pd4S6ul0

— Victoria Racing Club (@FlemingtonVRC) November 2, 2024

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“I will just go and make sure she is right, but she has always pulled up well,” he said.

“The quick back-up has worked really well for Zardozi before. You saw that 12 months ago when she pulled up beautifully into the Oaks after running in the Wakeful.”

Jockey Daniel Stackhouse said of the mare: “(It was a) super run from her today, a nice little gallop leading into Tuesday.”

Originally published as ‘The quick back-up has worked before’: Is Zardozi the forgotten horse in the 2024 Melbourne Cup?