Lloyd Williams’ last two Melbourne Cup winners Rekindling and Almandin have been included in the 114 nominations for the 2018 Group 1 $2m Schweppes Sydney Cup (3200m) at Randwick on April 14, day two of The Championships.
Melbourne Cup winner Rekindling, above, is among the nominations for the 2018 Sydney Cup at Randwick. Photo by Ultimate Racing Photos.
Rekindling was prepared by young gun Irish trainer Joseph O’Brien to win last year’s Group 1 $6.25m Emirates Melbourne Cup (3200m) at Flemington during the Spring Carnival while trainer Robert Hickmott saddled up Almandin, the 2016 winner of ‘The Race That Stops A Nation’.
Liam Howley has taken over the training of Williams’ team at Macedon Lodge and eight horses have been entered under his name for the 2018 Sydney Cup.
The 2016 Sydney Cup winner Gallante is also among this year’s nominations along with Williams’ other entries Aloft, Foundry, Sir Isaac Newton, The Taj Mahal and 2017 Melbourne Cup runner up Johannes Vermeer.
Sydney’s leading trainer Chris Waller won the 2015 Sydney Cup with Grand Marshall who beat his stablemate Who Shot Thebarman who is one of Waller’s nine nominations for this year’s two miler during The Championships.
Waller’s other entries are Alward, Carzoff, Chatelard, Libran, Patrick Erin, Sayed, Vassal and Xebec.
Godolphin’s English trainer Charlie Appleby won the Sydney Cup last year with his tough stayer Polarisation and cold return with another stayer, Rare Rhythm to try to claim back to back victories.
The Lindsay park Team of David and Ben Hayes and Tom Dabernig are another large stable with plenty of numbers among the nominations for the 2018 Sydney Cup with Ventura Storm and Harlem heading up their nine entries.
Newcastle based trainer Kris Lees also has plenty of ammunition with Doomben Cup winner Sense Of Occasion and Victoria Derby winner Prized Icon as well as French import Singing heading up his eight nominations.
The first acceptances for the Sydney Cup are on Tuesday, March 13 with the final field being declared on Tuesday April 10, 2018.
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