The significant drop in nominations for both the Caulfield Cup and Cox Plate is welcome news for Australasian-based connections. While Moonee Valley has attempted to negate the 15% devaluation of the Australian dollar, for internationals, the prizemoney for the Caulfield
Cup (and it will be the same for the Melbourne Cup) has dropped significantly for the visitors. Combined with the Carnival’s unique veterinary requirements, it’s not surprising the appeal of the Melbourne Spring Carnival is waning for the internationals.
Local connections, including OTI owners, will benefit from this year’s landscape. With fewer hoops to jump through and little impact from a lower dollar value, their chances of success in these great races are enhanced.
In the Caulfield Cup, OTI has nominated Deakin and Skippers Canyon (Stokes), Mark Twain (James/Wellwood), Athabascan (O’Shea/Charlton), Golden Century (Waller) and Wymark (Freedman). While it’s early days, all trainers are delighted with the progress of each of these horses.
In the Cox Plate, Deakin (Stokes), Perfumist (Baker), and Cinturato (Walker) are nominated. A fair amount of water needs to flow under the bridge before they can be considered legitimate chances!
In total, 108 horses have nominated for the Cox Plate (last year 137) and 146 horses for the Caulfield Cup (last year 173). The drop in international nominations played a big part in the reduced numbers.