Bendigo Cup winner Qewy won’t line up for a second time in the 2017 Group 1 $6.25m Emirates Melbourne Cup (3200m) at Flemington on Tuesday.
Qewy, above, won’t take his place in the 2017 Melbourne Cup field. Photo by Ultimate Racing Photos.
The English stayer finished fourth to Almandin in last year’s Melbourne Cup after winning the Group 3 $300,000 Geelong Cup (2400m) at Geelong but Newmarket trainer Charlie Appleby has ruled Qewy out of this year’s feature two miler.
Qewy was back in the winner’s list last Wednesday with a narrow win in the Group 3 $300,000 Jayco Bendigo Cup (2400m) at Bendigo but Appleby said that the six days until the Melbourne Cup wasn’t enough time for the eight year old to recover from a tough run.
“He knows he’s had a race, and I think the Cup will just come a bit soon for him,” Appleby said, via the Godolphin website.
“It’s only six days between the two races.
“Hopefully we can consider another race for him in Melbourne this trip, provided he is back on top form.”
Appleby is hopeful that Qewy will be back to his old self soon and is looking to find another suitable race for the stayer over the Melbourne Spring Carnival.
The Group 3 $300,000 Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2600m) at Flemington on the last day of the four day Melbourne Cup carnival could catch Appleby’s eye or the Godolphin trainer could wait for the Sandown carnival the next week that offers the Listed $150,000 Sandown Cup (3200m), the race he won last year, and the Group 2 $300,000 Zipping Classic (2400m).
Qewy’s withdrawal from the 2017 Melbourne Cup has allowed the Hugo Palmer trained English stayer Wall Of Fire to move up to number twenty-three in the order of entry with Michael Kent’s Abbey Marie moving into the final twenty-fourth position.
Abbey Marie’s spot could be temporary though with the winner of the Group 3 $300,000 Lexus Stakes (2500m) at Flemington on Saturday gaining automatic entry in the Melbourne Cup if it is still among the second acceptances.
Qewy was rated a $26 chance for the Melbourne Cup and his withdrawal hasn’t affected the market at Ladbrokes.com.au with last year’s winner Almanddin still marked at $6.50 to make it back to back wins in ‘The Race That Stops A Nation’.
Early betting for the 2017 Melbourne Cup at Ladbrokes.com.au: $6.50 Almandin, $8.50 Humidor, Marmelo, $11 Johannes Vermeer, Red Cardinal, Wall Of Fire, $15 Rekindling, Max Dynamite, $21 Thomas Hobson, Big Duke, Tiberian, Hartnell, $26 Amelie’s Star, Nakeeta, Single Gaze, $34 Boom Time, Harlem, Bondi Beach, Ventura Storm, $41 Who Shot Thebarman, Jon Snow, Abbey Marie, US Army Ranger, Wicklow Brave, $61 or better the rest.
