Nakeeta’s Ebor Handicap win is a strong form line for his chances going into the 2017 Group 1 $6.25m Emirates Melbourne Cup (3200m) at Flemington on Tuesday.
Jockey Glyn Schofield, above, has been booked to ride Nakeeta in the 2017 Melbourne Cup at Flemington. Photo by Taron Clarke.
The Scottish trained stayer lines up in the Melbourne Cup on the back of a win in the £285,000 Ebor Handicap (2787m) at York in England, on August 26, the same race that Purple Moon and Heartbreak City win before being placed in the Flemington two miler.
Purple Moon finished second to Efficient in the 2007 Melbourne Cup after running sixth to Master O’Reilly in the Group 1 $3m BMW Caulfield Cup (2400m) at Caulfield while Heatbreak City was beaten a neck in last year’s Melbourne Cup by Almandin.
“The Ebor is a great race, it’s a tough race to win and he managed to do that and he’s got some nice form behind him so we go into the race on Tuesday thinking that he’ll run well,” Scottish trainer Iain Jardine told racing.com.
“In the videos that I’ve seen (of the Melbourne Cup), they seem to go very quick up the straight and then start to ride a bit of the race so we’ll take our time a bit and tuck in, without leaving him too much to do.
“We’ll be riding him for a big finish.”
“I’m proud to be part of it.”
“Taking a horse from home over to here in Australia, it feels like the whole nation is behind us so we’ll be hoping we do them all proud.”
Jardine has been happy with the way Nakeeta has settled into his new surroundings at the Werribee International Horse Centre and Melbourne Cup jockey Glyn Schofield was pleased with the way the seven year old felt in a recent work out.
“His preparation has been very good,” Jardine said.
“He did a bit of work yesterday with his jockey Glyn Schofield and I was really pleased with the way he worked.
“The work has been done with him and now it’s just a matter of keeping him right for the next few days.”
Nakeeta is currently marked at $26 for the Melbourne Cup with Ladbrokes.com.au who have the Robert Hickmott trained Almandin as the $6.50 favourite to score 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 Marmelo, $8.50 Humidor, $11 Johannes Vermeer, Red Cardinal, Wall Of Fire, $15 Rekindling, Thomas Hobson, $17 Max Dynamite, $21, Big Duke, Tiberian, $26 Hartnell, Amelie’s Star, Nakeeta, Boom Time, $34 Single Gaze, Harlem, Bondi Beach, Ventura Storm, $41 Who Shot Thebarman, Jon Snow, Abbey Marie, US Army Ranger, Wicklow Brave, $61 or better the rest.
