Media Alert: Bande completes Caulfield Cup preparations; Statement regarding Werribee track; McEvoy makes Caulfield Cup Wish; Oliver looms in Spring Premierships

Media Alert : Bande completes Caulfield Cup preparations

Media are invited to the TAB Werribee International Horse Centre tomorrow morning to watch talented Japanese stayer Bande complete his final gallop ahead of Saturday’s $3 million Crown Golden Ale Caulfield Cup (2400m).

Bande, the $9 TAB second elect for Saturday’s race, is one of four international runners in the Caulfield Cup field and will work tomorrow morning with stable mate Raizan, who tackles the Group 3 Sportingbet Moonga Stakes (1400m) on Saturday’s support program.

Horses, including fellow Cup contenders Admire Rakti, Dandino and Seismos, will commence parading in the Newminster Stables from 6.45am tomorrow, with the track open for training from 7am. Interview opportunities with Takahide Ando, assistant to Bande's trainer Yoshito Yahagi, will be available following trackwork.

Racing Victoria and the Werribee Racing Club will provide a hot breakfast for media and industry participants in the racecourse grandstand from 7.15am, and will assist media in facilitating interviews and identifying horses galloping.

WHAT: International trackwork at the TAB Werribee International Horse Centre

WHEN: Tomorrow, Wednesday, 15 October 2014

6.45am – Horses parading in Newminster Stables

7.00am – Trackwork session commences

WHERE: TAB Werribee International Horse Centre, Werribee Racecourse

6.45am – Newminster Stables

7.00am – Main Grandstand Viewing Deck, enter via Racecourse Rd

WHO: Leading Crown Golden Ale Caulfield Cup contender Bande and Takahide Ando – Assistant Trainer for Yoshito Yahagi

Statement regarding Werribee track

Racing Victoria (RV) International Recruitment Officer, Leigh Jordon, has this afternoon confirmed that the Werribee track has received the “all clear” for trackwork tomorrow after issues with an irrigation pipe near the outside running rail this morning.

“An irrigation joint partially separated last night while the Werribee track was being watered and this affected a section of the track one metre from the outside fence near the winning post,” Jordon said.

“The damaged section was approximately six feet long and six inches wide and was located in a part of the track used by horses for walking during warm ups only.

“None of the horses were injured and trackwork continued around the affected section of the track has already been fully repaired.

McEvoy makes Caulfield Cup Wish

Jockey Kerrin McEvoy will be riding for more than the winner's prizemoney cheque when he partners TAB favourite Lucia Valentina in Saturday's $3 million Group 1 Crown Golden Ale Caulfield Cup (2400m).

As part of this year's exciting Spring Racing Premierships initiative, McEvoy is chasing a generous bonus for his nominated charity, Make A Wish Australia.

Oliver looms in Spring Premierships

Damien Oliver appears set to be the big mover on the Spring Racing Jockey Premiership table courtesy of a stellar book of rides at Caulfield on Wednesday.

Oliver has a ride in every race on the program, with as many as six of his eight mounts likely to be in the first few chances in the betting.

Oliver – whose Spring Racing Premierships charity partner of choice is Make A Wish Australia – sits in tenth position on 16 points, with Glen Boss (29 points) currently leading from Dwayne Dunn (25) and Nick Hall (23)

My Ambivalent out of Caulfield Cup

The Roger Varian camp is hopeful My Ambivalent may yet play a part in the Spring Racing Carnival, despite being scratched from Saturday’s $3 million Crown Golden Ale Caulfield Cup.

The English mare was this morning withdrawn from the world’s richest 2400m handicap after succumbing to a stone bruise that she suffered at the weekend.

David Eustace, Varian’s travelling foreman, said missing a third-straight day’s work would render the six-year-old unfit for this weekend’s race but did not spell the end of her campaign.

Exhibition honours Roy Higgins

The life and achievements of one of the legends of the Australian turf was celebrated today when the Roy Higgins Exhibition Showcase was launched at the Champions Gallery at the National Sports Museum.

Known in racing circles as ‘The Professor’ due to his extraordinary ability in the saddle and tactical prowess during a race, the late jockey Roy Henry Higgins (MBE) reached amazing heights throughout his race-riding career which spanned 30 years.

Those in attendance at the launch included long-time friend and former racetrack rival Gary Willetts, Roy’s beloved daughters Nicole Lund and Martine Melton, Australian Racing Museum Chairman Barbara Saunders, National Sports Museum Curator Helen Walpole and former business associate and good friend Wylie Dalziel.

Iron filly chases another feature

Craig Widdison’s delight at seeing Eloping return to the winner’s stall after the Group 3 Champagne Stakes at Moonee Valley ran deeper than her collecting another $90,000 for connections.

It was proof that the filly who contested a string of feature races during her two-year-old season would again be a feature force at three.

The daughter of Choisir will go in search of another lucrative success when she contests Wednesday’s $250,000 Listed Catanach’s Jewellers Blue Sapphire Stakes (1200m), the new headline act of the middle day of the Crown Golden Ale Caulfield Cup Carnival.

Hallowed Crown out of Spring play

Hallowed Crown is out of next month’s Group 1 Coolmore Stud Stakes (1200m) at Flemington.

Unbeaten in his first four starts - including a victory in the Group 1 Golden Rose (1400m) - the Bart and James Cummings-trained three-year-old was beaten for the first time when fourth behind Brazen Beau in the Roman Consul Stakes (1200m) at Randwick last start.

Blinkers off Suavito at Caulfield

Nigel Blackiston has removed the blinkers and put winkers back on Suavito for Wednesday’s $150,000 Group 3 Nine West Ladies Day Vase (1600m) at Caulfield.

After displaying a stunning turn-of-foot to win first up at Caulfield, the daughter of Thorn Park then finished a narrow second at the same track before refusing to jump when favourite in the Group 2 Blazer Stakes (1400m) at Flemington.