A second to super star mare Winx two starts back has boosted the confidence of the Lindsay Park Team for Ventura Storm heading into the Group 1 $6.25m Emirates Melbourne Cup (3200m) at Flemington on Tuesday.
Ventura Storm finished second to Winx, above, in the Turnbull Stakes at Flemington. Photo by Ultimate Racing Photos.
Co-trainer Ben Hayes is willing to forgive Ventura Storm’s last start thirteenth to stablemate Boom Time in the Group 1 $3.15m BMW Caulfield Cup (2400m) at Caulfield on October 21 and assess his chances on his previous start when second to Winx in the Group 1 $500,000 Seppelt Turnbull Stakes (2000m) at Flemington on October 7.
Hayes said that there were genuine excuses in the Caulfield Cup for Ventura Storm who did pull up a bit tender in the feet, but has since fully recovered.
“Ventura Storm ran well below what we expected in the Caulfield Cup, but he had a genuine excuse because he came out of the race with a bruised foot,” Ben Hayes wrote in the Herald Sun.
“People might be tempted to sack him on that run, but I wouldn’t.
“He hasn’t missed any work since the Caulfield Cup.”
“We had him in the water walker and freshened him up and now he’s sound as a bell.
“If you forget his last run, and watch when he ran second to Winx in the Turnbull Stakes, then I think he has a genuine chance.
“He beat home Humidor and he’s now second favourite.”
The Darren Weir trained Humidor finished third in the Turnbull Stakes before running fifth in the Caulfield Cup and then pushed Winx to the limit when second in the Group 1 $3m Ladbrokes Cox Plate (2040m) at The Valley on October 28.
Glen Boss takes over the reins from the suspended Damien Oliver on Ventura Storm and the three times Melbourne Cup winning jockey is certain to give the European import a perfect ride from barrier six.
Ventura Storm is listed at $34 for the Melbourne Cup with Ladbrokes.com.au who have last year’s winner Almandin as the $8 favourite.
The Lindsay Park Team of David and Ben Hayes and Tom Dabernig will also saddle up Caulfield Cup winner Boom Time who is marked as a $26 chance to win the Caulfield – Melbourne Cup’s double.
Caulfield Cup winning jockey Cory Parish takes the ride again on Boom Time who has drawn barrier nine in the twenty-four horse Melbourne Cup field.
