Cheers, fellas


A new Order of Entry came out yesterday: https://cdn.racing.com/-/media/rv/2...ry-september-23 (and was linked from Racing Victoria's Spring Feature Race Conditions page, so no need to stalk their Twitter: https://www.racingvictoria.com.au/t...ture-conditions).


Django Freedman is the only horse to have officially withdrawn so far, but more are on the way. Foremost of these is 2017 Cup placegetter Johannes Vermeer, who was also announced to be missing this Spring through injury.


There was a little movement in the Order:

• Buckhurst has passed the first ballot clause and rockets to #26 following his placing in the Kilternan Stakes.

• Attention Run and Our Candidate take up positions #93 and #94 respectively following their placings in the Newcastle Cup

Brimham Rocks didn't earn a penalty for his Naturalism Stakes win, though he did win ballot exemption for the Caulfield Cup. This leaves him currently at 75th in the Order and unlikely to make the Melbourne Cup field unless he wins either the Bart Cummings (5th Oct - unlikely as he's nominated for the Metropolitan in Sydney on the same day), Caulfield Cup (19th Oct), or Lexus Stakes (2nd Nov).

Finche similarly didn't gain a penalty for his win in the Kingston Town Stakes: being only 2000m, it wasn't an eligible race.

No overseas runners gained a weight penalty either, which will buoy supporters of Il Paradiso, Ispolini and Magic Wand, among others. Horses of this ilk will have to enter quarantine on Thursday to make the second shipment of internationals. The first shipment is set to arrive this Saturday.


Among them will be Gold Mount who recently had to process a name change with Racing Australia. He was still registered under his old name Primitivo.


Caliburn is also now known as Te Akau Caliburn. His owners are confident that he'll be a strong candidate for the Cups next year but are having a throw at the stumps in 2019. He's anticipated to next run in the Bart Cummings for a ballot exemption.


In major scratching news: Taylor Swift. Initially announced as Melbourne Cup Day entertainment, she soon withdrew citing a scheduling conflict. There was certainly some conflict in social media where she was part of a targeted campaign from both her fans with concerns over racing and gambling, as well as by animal rights activists. Racing Victoria have said they will refund any ticket purchases made expressly to see Swift.

Sportsbet have a market for who will be announced as her replacement: the $3 favourite is Daryl Braithwaite with John Farnham ($4), Delta Goodrem ($5.50), Meat Loaf ($7), the winner of The Masked Singer Australia ($8.50) and Jimmy Barnes ($10) being the other frontrunners.


In other entertainment news: Ride Like A Girl, the story of Michelle Payne's career and her win in the 2015 Melbourne Cup with 100-1 shot Prince of Penzance, will open in cinemas Thursday.

If you do happen to go watch, check to see if your theatre is part of the My Cinema network (https://mycinema.com.au/locations-2/). They've a competition running where you can win $5000: https://fs2.formsite.com/MyCinema/r...girl/index.html


Raheen House will have an Australian run ahead of the Melbourne Cup, per his trainer William Haggas. Plan A is the Caulfield Cup but, if he weren't able to make the final field, the Geelong Cup 4 days later is the backup. Raheen House was the $6 favourite in the Ebor Cup but could only manage a 9th placing 7L adrift of Mustajeer. Haggas says that he was lacking early pace which saw him running too far back. He also had concerns that the ground may have been too quick.


First declarations are due next Tuesday on 1st October, after which I'll probably start on some horse profiles.