Doubts dismissed over Mer De Glace’s staying power

Japanese trainer Hisashi Shimizu honestly doesn’t know if his Melbourne Cup favourite Mer De Glace will stay the 3200m.

Damian Lane rides Mer De Glace during a trackwork session at Werribee. Picture: AAP

Japanese trainer Hisashi Shimizu honestly doesn’t know if his Melbourne Cup favourite Mer De Glace will stay the 3200m on Tuesday.

His recent Caulfield Cup win (2400m) was the furthest he had been in his 18-race career but he handled that to win the race by a length over Vow And Declare and Mirage Dancer.

The question Shimizu has been repeatedly asked is will his horse run a strong 3200?

“I’ve been asked this a million times in the past few days. I believe in the horse and the jockey so he should be able to handle it,” he said.

His father Rulership was much like Mer De Glace in that he mainly raced between 1800m and 2200m.

“The breeding shows it’s possible for him to stay two miles but we won’t actually know until he runs the race.”

The international raiders have started their assault on the spring carnival.

Japanese Mer De Glace produced a superb staying performance to win the Caulfield Cup. pic.twitter.com/9EaX1n7PbH

— 7HorseRacing 🐎 (@7horseracing) October 19, 2019

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Shimizu said the plan was simple with Mer De Glace as he got on to a plane to Australia a few months ago.

And his success at Caulfield means he will start a very well supported $6.50 favourite.

“We wanted to have a horse close to 100 per cent for the Caulfield Cup then if he ran well the plan was to go on to the Melbourne Cup,” Shimizu said.

The trainer was unfazed about drawing barrier two.

“I’ve never had a runner in this race,” he said. “ I’ve only watched replays of the past so I’m not sure about what’s the best barrier. There’s a good straight until the first turn, so I don’t really think the barrier will affect him that much.

“I’ll leave everything to Damian Lane, tactics-wise.”

Lane has won three times on Mer De Glace including twice in Japan in April and June.

He’s been on fire in the big races this year, so much so that if he wins the Melbourne Cup on Tuesday he would complete a year “Grand Slam” after already winning the Golden Slipper (Kiamichi), Caulfield Cup (Mer De Glace) and Lys Gracieux (Cox Plate).

No jockey has ever achieved the feat so it’s understandable why Shimizu smiled when asked about having Lane on his team once again.

“He understands the horse very well and knows Flemington Racecourse inside and out so it’s very important to have him,” Shimizu said.

“Damian Lane’s won a Group III in his very first week in Japan and he’s been a great jockey for Mer De Glace.”

Shimizu said he was feeling the expectations of having a Melbourne Cup favourite and realises the Japanese will be glued to their TV screens back home when the gates fly.

The expectations have grown with each win and if Mer De Glace scores again it will be his seventh-straight victory which will be some story for a once immature horse who only won once in his first nine starts.

“I’m not the biggest trainer in Japan but I’m lucky to have this horse,” Shimizu said.

“I feel like I’m carrying the Japanese flag and feel so reasonable (to win) now.”

And if he wins?

“I like a drink … I’ll be having a few,” he said.

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