The Internationals - Spring 2021

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   The first nine days in September will be definitive in determining which European horses race during the 2021 Melbourne Spring Carnival.
The challenge for horses and staff to arrive from overseas has never been greater, complicated by new pre-travel veterinary protocols and further exacerbated by COVID-19.
Racing.com understands about 11 Northern Hemisphere horses remain in contention for a trip to Melbourne via Werribee's International Horse Centre this spring.
All horses seeking to travel on the first shipment have undergone the much-publicised full body scintigraphy and CT/MRI of distal limbs, in anticipation of travelling to Melbourne.
Thursday looms as D-Day for these first-shipment travelers, with connections of the respective horses due to be informed that day by Racing Victoria whether their horse has cleared the veterinary screening process.
Connections of the scanned horses don't expect to hear any bad news later this week from RV.
There is, understandably, some teeth chattering from connections given it's the first time the veterinary process has been performed to such an extent.
Should pre-travel veterinary clearance be granted, the next complication will be getting travelling staff from Europe to Melbourne on connecting flights in time.
Last year, travelling staff arrived in Sydney and completed two weeks' quarantine before driving across the Victorian border.
That is not possible this year as current COVID-19 regulations require individuals to be given special exemption to cross the Victorian and New South Wales border to complete an additional fortnight of quarantine.
Racing.com has been told by multiple sets of connections that more incoming overseas passenger flights are arriving in Sydney, albeit still on a limited basis, rather than Melbourne.
RV is working with stables to secure flights for travelling staff. Some stables are still looking for flights, which threatens to delay or jeopardise their horses arriving in Melbourne.
Travelling staff for horses on the first shipment must be in Melbourne and starting their hotel quarantine from September 9, the same day horses will start their fortnight quarantine in Newmarket, in order to be available to care for them upon arrival at Werribee on September 25.
Australian Bloodstock purchased a half-share of Rodrigo Diaz from Quantum Leap Racing ahead of his second to Hukum in the G3 Geoffrey Freer Stakes (2671m) at Newbury on August 14.
"The big issue is whether we can get staff out here," Australian Bloodstock co-director Jamie Lovett said. "David Simcock (trainer of Rodrigo Diaz) is struggling to get these guys on an aircraft, so it will depend a lot on that."
Connections are eager for Rodrigo Diaz to arrive on the first shipment and have a lead-up start ahead of the Melbourne Cup, which will help him secure a spot in the field.
However, should travel arrangements not be finalised in time for Simcock's staff, Rodrigo Diaz would contest the G2 Doncaster Cup (3600m) on September 10 and then attempt to travel on the second shipment for the Melbourne Cup.
Seven-time Melbourne Cup-winning owner Lloyd Williams is keen for Twilight Payment to contest the Caulfield Cup ahead of the Melbourne Cup but acknowledged the difficulty of getting foreign staff into Melbourne.
"As things are, it's a lot easier if I had a horse running in Sydney," Williams said.
That's the option taken by OTI Racing, who will have no horses coming through Werribee. OTI's Mirann and Win O'Clock will be trained by John O'Shea and prepared for the $500,000 Rosehill Gold Cup on October 30.
Mirann was once touted as a Melbourne Cup prospect before his stamina limitations were exposed in this month's Ebor Handicap (2787m) and he was redirected towards Sydney's Everest Carnival.
The second shipment arriving in Melbourne on October 12 will also contain foreign horses bound for Sydney and arriving on the same day.
O'Shea will also welcome Maximal into his care at the same time, with his Cox Plate nomination set to be forfeited in preference to the $7.5m Golden Eagle (1500m) at Rosehill on October 30.
Then there's the case of three-time Melbourne Cup placegetter Prince Of Arran, who will race for the first time since late April in Saturday's G3 September Stakes (2413m) at Kempton.
Trainer Charlie Fellowes submitted Prince Of Arran to undergo the full body scintigraphy to allow him the option of travelling on the first shipment and the possibility of a lead-up start in the Caulfield Cup ahead of the Melbourne Cup.
However, any trip to Australia will be dependent on how the Northern Hemisphere eight-year-old performs on Kempton's all-weather track.
Below is an update on each horse who remains in contention for a trip to Melbourne.
STATUS OF POSSIBLE FIRST SHIPMENT ARRIVALS
Gold Trip (Ciaron Maher and David Eustace) 
Connections are committed to running Gold Trip in the Cox Plate.
Twilight Payment (Joseph O'Brien)
Connections are keen to see him race in the Caulfield Cup ahead of another Melbourne Cup appearance.
State Of Rest (Joseph O'Brien)
Connections are keen to see him run in the Cox Plate.
Spanish Mission (Andrew Balding)
Connections eager to run in the Caulfield and Melbourne Cups.
Rodrigo Diaz (David Simcock)
Preference of connections is the first shipment, but should that not prove possible, would run in the G2 Doncaster Cup (3600m) and hopefully arrive on the second shipment ahead of the Melbourne Cup.
Prince Of Arran (Charlie Fellowes)
His performance in Saturday's G3 September Stakes (2413m) at Kempton will go a long way to determining whether he returns to Melbourne. Should he run well, the Caulfield and Melbourne Cups await.
Master Of Reality (Joseph O'Brien)
Unclear whether he would join Twilight Payment on the first shipment to Melbourne for a start in both Cups or may be a potential travelling partner for Baron Samedi on the second shipment on a Melbourne Cup raid.
STATUS OF POSSIBLE SECOND SHIPMENT ARRIVALS
Sir Lucan (Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott)
Scheduled to have his final start for Aidan O'Brien in the G1 St Leger (2921m) at Doncaster on September 11 ahead of the Melbourne Cup.
Sonnyboyliston (Johnny Murtagh)
Connections have decided that Sonnyboyliston will have his next start in the G1 Irish St Leger (2816m) at the Curragh on September 12. Any decision on a trip to Melbourne will be made following that race, or a possible sale to Australian owners.
Away He Goes (Ismail Mohammed)
Remains under consideration for a trip to Melbourne, where the Melbourne Cup would be his lone assignment.
Baron Samedi (Joseph O'Brien)
Could be considered an outside chance of travelling, with the sole intention of running in the Melbourne Cup.

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crooked_gambler Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Champion Joined: 27 Jan 2015 Status: Offline Points: 4676	Post Options Post Reply Quote crooked_gambler Report Post Thanks(1) Quote Reply Topic: The Internationals - Spring 2021 Posted: 02 Sep 2021 at 3:27pm
	The first nine days in September will be definitive in determining which European horses race during the 2021 Melbourne Spring Carnival. The challenge for horses and staff to arrive from overseas has never been greater, complicated by new pre-travel veterinary protocols and further exacerbated by COVID-19. Racing.com understands about 11 Northern Hemisphere horses remain in contention for a trip to Melbourne via Werribee's International Horse Centre this spring. All horses seeking to travel on the first shipment have undergone the much-publicised full body scintigraphy and CT/MRI of distal limbs, in anticipation of travelling to Melbourne. Thursday looms as D-Day for these first-shipment travelers, with connections of the respective horses due to be informed that day by Racing Victoria whether their horse has cleared the veterinary screening process. Connections of the scanned horses don't expect to hear any bad news later this week from RV. There is, understandably, some teeth chattering from connections given it's the first time the veterinary process has been performed to such an extent. Should pre-travel veterinary clearance be granted, the next complication will be getting travelling staff from Europe to Melbourne on connecting flights in time. Last year, travelling staff arrived in Sydney and completed two weeks' quarantine before driving across the Victorian border. That is not possible this year as current COVID-19 regulations require individuals to be given special exemption to cross the Victorian and New South Wales border to complete an additional fortnight of quarantine. Racing.com has been told by multiple sets of connections that more incoming overseas passenger flights are arriving in Sydney, albeit still on a limited basis, rather than Melbourne. RV is working with stables to secure flights for travelling staff. Some stables are still looking for flights, which threatens to delay or jeopardise their horses arriving in Melbourne. Travelling staff for horses on the first shipment must be in Melbourne and starting their hotel quarantine from September 9, the same day horses will start their fortnight quarantine in Newmarket, in order to be available to care for them upon arrival at Werribee on September 25. Australian Bloodstock purchased a half-share of Rodrigo Diaz from Quantum Leap Racing ahead of his second to Hukum in the G3 Geoffrey Freer Stakes (2671m) at Newbury on August 14. "The big issue is whether we can get staff out here," Australian Bloodstock co-director Jamie Lovett said. "David Simcock (trainer of Rodrigo Diaz) is struggling to get these guys on an aircraft, so it will depend a lot on that." Connections are eager for Rodrigo Diaz to arrive on the first shipment and have a lead-up start ahead of the Melbourne Cup, which will help him secure a spot in the field. However, should travel arrangements not be finalised in time for Simcock's staff, Rodrigo Diaz would contest the G2 Doncaster Cup (3600m) on September 10 and then attempt to travel on the second shipment for the Melbourne Cup. Seven-time Melbourne Cup-winning owner Lloyd Williams is keen for Twilight Payment to contest the Caulfield Cup ahead of the Melbourne Cup but acknowledged the difficulty of getting foreign staff into Melbourne. "As things are, it's a lot easier if I had a horse running in Sydney," Williams said. That's the option taken by OTI Racing, who will have no horses coming through Werribee. OTI's Mirann and Win O'Clock will be trained by John O'Shea and prepared for the $500,000 Rosehill Gold Cup on October 30. Mirann was once touted as a Melbourne Cup prospect before his stamina limitations were exposed in this month's Ebor Handicap (2787m) and he was redirected towards Sydney's Everest Carnival. The second shipment arriving in Melbourne on October 12 will also contain foreign horses bound for Sydney and arriving on the same day. O'Shea will also welcome Maximal into his care at the same time, with his Cox Plate nomination set to be forfeited in preference to the $7.5m Golden Eagle (1500m) at Rosehill on October 30. Then there's the case of three-time Melbourne Cup placegetter Prince Of Arran, who will race for the first time since late April in Saturday's G3 September Stakes (2413m) at Kempton. Trainer Charlie Fellowes submitted Prince Of Arran to undergo the full body scintigraphy to allow him the option of travelling on the first shipment and the possibility of a lead-up start in the Caulfield Cup ahead of the Melbourne Cup. However, any trip to Australia will be dependent on how the Northern Hemisphere eight-year-old performs on Kempton's all-weather track. Below is an update on each horse who remains in contention for a trip to Melbourne. STATUS OF POSSIBLE FIRST SHIPMENT ARRIVALS Gold Trip (Ciaron Maher and David Eustace) Connections are committed to running Gold Trip in the Cox Plate. Twilight Payment (Joseph O'Brien) Connections are keen to see him race in the Caulfield Cup ahead of another Melbourne Cup appearance. State Of Rest (Joseph O'Brien) Connections are keen to see him run in the Cox Plate. Spanish Mission (Andrew Balding) Connections eager to run in the Caulfield and Melbourne Cups. Rodrigo Diaz (David Simcock) Preference of connections is the first shipment, but should that not prove possible, would run in the G2 Doncaster Cup (3600m) and hopefully arrive on the second shipment ahead of the Melbourne Cup. Prince Of Arran (Charlie Fellowes) His performance in Saturday's G3 September Stakes (2413m) at Kempton will go a long way to determining whether he returns to Melbourne. Should he run well, the Caulfield and Melbourne Cups await. Master Of Reality (Joseph O'Brien) Unclear whether he would join Twilight Payment on the first shipment to Melbourne for a start in both Cups or may be a potential travelling partner for Baron Samedi on the second shipment on a Melbourne Cup raid. STATUS OF POSSIBLE SECOND SHIPMENT ARRIVALS Sir Lucan (Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott) Scheduled to have his final start for Aidan O'Brien in the G1 St Leger (2921m) at Doncaster on September 11 ahead of the Melbourne Cup. Sonnyboyliston (Johnny Murtagh) Connections have decided that Sonnyboyliston will have his next start in the G1 Irish St Leger (2816m) at the Curragh on September 12. Any decision on a trip to Melbourne will be made following that race, or a possible sale to Australian owners. Away He Goes (Ismail Mohammed) Remains under consideration for a trip to Melbourne, where the Melbourne Cup would be his lone assignment. Baron Samedi (Joseph O'Brien) Could be considered an outside chance of travelling, with the sole intention of running in the Melbourne Cup.
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Foxseal Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Champion Joined: 06 Dec 2011 Status: Offline Points: 2705	Post Options Post Reply Quote Foxseal Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 03 Sep 2021 at 3:31pm
	Reading that a filly called Mother Earth is coming for the Sydney spring carnival. A dual G1 winner for Aiden O�Brien. Anyone know much about her? Surely he�s not sending just 1 horse? It�d surely be worth his while to send at least a small team for other big money races in Sydney?

Magnolian Khan Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Champion Joined: 23 Dec 2015 Location: SA Status: Offline Points: 8437	Post Options Post Reply Quote Magnolian Khan Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 14 Sep 2021 at 6:06pm
	Equal Melbourne Cup topweight and last Sunday's Irish St Leger winner Sonnyboyliston will miss this year's Melbourne Cup with no more than five foreign horses likely to travel through Werribee's International Horse Centre this spring. Sonnyboyliston defeated reigning Melbourne Cup winner Twilight Payment in the �500,000 G1 Irish St Leger (2816m) at the Curragh, the pair given 58kg by Racing Victoria's chief handicapper Greg Carpenter for the $8m G1 Lexus Melbourne Cup (3200m) at Flemington on November 2. However, Twilight Payment may travel solo on the second shipment to Werribee, with Sonnyboyliston's trainer Johnny Murtagh advising Paul Bloodworth, Racing Victoria's General Manager of International and Racing Operations, his horse would not enter pre-export quarantine at Newmarket on September 20. "Sonnyboyliston is going for a bit of a rest now and target international races next year so we're hopeful we might be able to secure him for the Cups next year," Bloodworth said. Ismail Mohammed remains eager for G1 Goodwood Cup (3219m) runner-up Away He Goes to make the flight to Melbourne. "We still have a problematic issue for a flight for his groom, which is a similar issue with what we had with Andrew Balding (for Spanish Mission), but should we be able to find a solution for that the horse will be definitely on the plane," Bloodworth said. Uncertainty surrounds the travel plans of Sir Lucan and Rodrigo Diaz, both horses receiving a weight too low to have any realistic chance of directly gaining a start in the Melbourne Cup. Both horses underperformed at Doncaster during their St Leger Festival last week which adversely impacted their handicap mark, allocated a weight 8.5kg below their weight-for-age mark. Rodrigo Diaz stalked Stradivarius throughout in last Friday's G2 Doncaster Cup (3600m) but offered little over the concluding stages, finishing 9.75 lengths behind Europe's champion stayer. Meanwhile, Sir Lucan ran eighth of ten starters in the �700,000 G1 Cazoo St Leger (2921m) on Saturday, beaten 14 lengths by Hurricane Lane. Horses that fly on the second shipment exit quarantine the week before the Melbournne Cup and new regulations for the race introduced this year prevent foreign horses racing on the quick back up from Derby Day into the Melbourne Cup, as Ashrun successfully achieved last year. Consequently, it is expected that neither horse will travel to Werribee this year with connections of Sir Lucan perhaps rerouting to Sydney to link up with new trainers Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott. The second shipment flight, arriving in Australia on October 12, will carry horses travelling to Werribee and also to Canterbury racecourse ahead of intended engagements during Sydney's Everest Carnival. Meanwhile, the trio of Gold Trip, State of Rest and Spanish Mission remain in pre-export quarantine at Newmarket. They will travel on the first shipment to Melbourne, arriving on September 25. "I have loved a couple more (horses to travel) but I'm happy with the level of quality we're going to see in both the Caulfield and Melbourne Cups," Bloodworth said. "In Spanish Mission, I think we've got after Stradivarius the second best stayer in Europe. Away He Goes is probably not at that level but he's a promising, up and coming stayer. And we've got the defending champion (Twilight Payment). "So even though we don't have the numbers of previous years, we've certainly got significant quality to contest the race this year. "Then if you throw in the one-way ticket of Gold Trip, fourth in the Arc last year, it brings a significant element of form to the Cox Plate." STATUS OF INTENTIONALS FOR MELBOURNE SPRING CARNIVAL Gold Trip (Ciaron Maher & David Eustace) In pre-export quarantine at Newmarket for the first shipment, ahead of the Cox Plate. State of Rest (Joseph O'Brien) In pre-export quarantine at Newmarket for the first shipment, ahead of the Cox Plate. Spanish Mission (Andrew Balding) In pre-export quarantine at Newmarket for the first shipment, ahead of the Caulfield Cup and Melbourne Cup. Twilight Payment (Joseph O'Brien) Considered a 'lock' to travel on the second shipment, contesting the Melbourne Cup as topweight. Away He Goes (Ismail Mohammed) Trainer remains enthusiastic to bring him to Melbourne but his participation in the Melbourne Cup hinges on finalising travel arrangements for staff. Sir Lucan (Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott) & Rodrigo Diaz (David Simcock) Connections hoped to proceed directly towards the Melbourne Cup but received weights 8.5kg below their weight-for-age mark � Rodrigo Diaz handicapped with 51kg while Sir Lucan on 50kg - extinguishing any realistic hope of getting a run in the race. It is highly doubtful either horse will travel through Werribee this spring. Sonnyboyliston (Johnny Murtagh) Johnny Murtagh advised Racing Victoria that the Northern Hemisphere four-year-old gelding would be spelled after winning the Ebor Handicap and last Sunday's Irish St Leger.

Shawy38 Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Champion Joined: 13 Jun 2015 Status: Offline Points: 17382	Post Options Post Reply Quote Shawy38 Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 23 Sep 2021 at 10:27pm
	Spanish Mission has not boarded the first international spring shipment to Melbourne and will miss the Caulfield Cup, leaving the race without international participation. The Andrew Balding-trained galloper was third favourite for the Caulfield Cup with Sportsbet but has suffered a setback which will see his arrival delayed until the second shipment, meaning he will be aimed solely at the Melbourne Cup. Craig Williams had been booked to ride the Yorkshire Cup winner in both Cups, but the six-year-old will now arrive on October 9 and as such not be permitted to race before the Melbourne Cup under new rules introduced by Racing Victoria in 2021. An RV statement said Spanish Mission had incurred a setback with muscle spasms in his flanks following exercise while in quarantine at Newmarket. As a result, he has missed time under saddle but is understood to now be back being ridden. Sportsbet has Spanish Mission marked the $9 favourite for the Melbourne Cup. Balding had made the decision that Spanish Mission would originally be put on the first shipment, having arranged Australian residents to care for the horse at the Werribee International Horse Centre. In his most recent start on August 20, Spanish Mission pushed superstar stayer Stradivarius to the barest of margins in the Lonsdale Cup. Cox Plate hopefuls Gold Trip and State Of Rest are now the only two horses set to touch down in Melbourne on Saturday night.
	Winning isn't everything, it's the only thing

Magnolian Khan Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Champion Joined: 23 Dec 2015 Location: SA Status: Offline Points: 8437	Post Options Post Reply Quote Magnolian Khan Report Post Thanks(1) Quote Reply Posted: 07 Oct 2021 at 10:36pm
	Four horses heading directly to the Melbourne Cup will arrive into Werribee's International Horse Centre this weekend. The second shipment will carry reigning Melbourne Cup winner and topweight Twilight Payment, Spanish Mission, Away He Goes and Sir Lucan. They will join intended Cox Plate competitors Gold Trip and State Of Rest at the quarantine and training facility. Three of the four travellers on the second shipment are guaranteed spots in the Melbourne Cup field while Sir Lucan, the lone Northern Hemisphere three-year-old in the hunt for Cup success this year, is 47th in the order of entry. The younger brother of Cox Plate winner Sir Dragonet, Sir Lucan cannot race on Australian soil before the Melbourne Cup, as is the case for the other travellers on the second shipment. Consequently, should Sir Lucan not gain a Melbourne Cup berth by attrition for new trainers Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott, he may instead contest another event during Melbourne Cup Week, such as the G3 Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2600m) on Stakes Day. The quartet of horses flying to Melbourne will be accompanied on the plane by horses who will compete during Sydney's Everest Carnival and complete quarantine at Canterbury Racecourse, including Golden Eagle contenders Maximal and Reve De Vol.