Racing: Rate of attrition favours Mandela

MELBOURNE - Auckland trainer Richard Yuill may have to wait until Saturday night to confirm whether his runner Mandela gets a start in Tuesday week's Melbourne Cup.

Mandela leapt from 51st to 35th in the order of entry for the Melbourne Cup when he won the Geelong Cup in Victoria last Thursday, but needs a solid attrition rate to make the 24-horse field.

Some of those ahead of him have already been declared non-runners, while others are questionable.

"The feedback I am getting, including from the handicapper Greg Carpenter, is that we should make the field," Yuill said yesterday. "I just hope they are right."

Zipping made it a little tougher for Mandela by qualifying for a cup start with his win in Saturday's Moonee Valley Cup, while the winner of the Saab Quality at Flemington next Saturday escapes the cup ballot.

Yuill said no decision had yet been made about a jockey for Mandela should he make the cup field.

Last week he said he was keen for Grant Cooksley to take the mount, while the owners are understood to be considering Craig Williams.

Complicating matters is that Williams could be required by his retaining stable of David Hayes for either Defining or Jagger.

- NZPA