Godolphin's advance party land in Melbourne this morning
Three top-class horses from Godolphin’s UK stables have touched down in Melbourne in the early hours of this morning (Saturday, 8 September) ahead of their raid on the 2018 Spring Racing Carnival.
After landing at Melbourne airport just after 5am, Group 1-winning sprinter Jungle Cat and middle-distance stars Folkswood and Blair House were immediately transported to Werribee to begin their two-week quarantine period in Racing Victoria’s (RV) International Horse Centre.
Once they have completed their mandatory fortnight in quarantine, the talented trio can chase their share of the $84 million in prizemoney and bonuses spread across the carnival.
The initial targets for Jungle Cat – a winner of his last three starts in Dubai – and last year’s Ladbrokes Cox Plate placegetter Folkswood are the Group 1 Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes (1400m) and the Group 3 Naturalism Stakes (2000m) respectively.
Both races will be run on East Malvern Bendigo Bank MRC Foundation Race Day at Caulfield on Saturday, 22 September, and eight days later at The Heath, Blair House will aim to make his Australian debut a winning one when he competes in the Group 1 Hyland Race Colours Underwood Stakes (1800m).
Their trainer, Charlie Appleby, is adept at masterminding successful raids on the Spring Racing Carnival, having won seven races over the past two seasons.
The 43-year-old, whose standout season in his native England was headlined by a first win for Godolphin in the Epsom Derby with Masar, is hoping the advance party can continue the stable’s rich vein of form in Australia.
“We’ve been able to nick a few wins in Australia over the past couple of years, our stable is in pretty good form and we’re hoping to keep that momentum going during the Spring Racing Carnival,” said Appleby.
“Last year Folkswood won the Cranbourne Cup and then ran a huge race behind Winx in the Cox Plate, while Jungle Cat and Blair House both look ideally suited to Australia so hopefully they can also acquit themselves well.
“We have high hopes for all the horses we’re planning to send to the carnival, it looks like they’ll have some serious competition both from the UK and Australia so it won’t be easy, but as always we’ll give it our best shot.”
Appleby’s travelling foreman, Chris Connett, was delighted with how the trio had handled the journey from Newmarket.
“All three horses arrived in good order and are now are settling in at Werribee,” he said.
“They will have a couple of easy days here before stepping up their preparations for their initial targets at Caulfield later this month. It’s good to be back in Melbourne and we’re all looking forward to their debuts and the rest of the carnival.”
The Godolphin raiders will be introduced to the media at Werribee on Wednesday, 12 September, with details to be confirmed early next week.
They mark the earliest international arrivals in the history of the Spring Racing Carnival, which in 2018 celebrates 25 years of international competition. The first main shipment from Europe will arrive on AFL Grand Final day (Saturday, 29 September), with the second planeload due to disembark two weeks later on Saturday, 13 October.
The European contingent is set to include four more gallopers from Appleby’s Moulton Paddocks stable: Emotionless, who has been nominated for both the Stella Artois Caulfield Cup (2400m) and the Lexus Melbourne Cup (3200m); Melbourne Cup entrants Cross Counter and Hamada; and Comicas, who will be aimed at 1200m and 1400m races across the Spring Racing Carnival.