KEY POINTS:
Bookmakers have slashed the odds of Matamata mare Princess Coup for the A$1 million Australian Cup on March 8 after her unlucky but eye-catching run in the CF Orr Stakes at Caulfield on Saturday.
Princess Coup was held up twice at vital stages in the group one 1400m weight-for-age feature, once at the 500m and again at the 300m before flashing home to grab fourth behind Shinzig.
Jockey Damien Oliver thought the mare would have won the race if she wasn't blocked for room at the 300m, trainer Mark Walker said yesterday.
"Damien felt if she got the gap when he wanted it, it would have made all the difference."
Princess Coup was rated a $13 chance in the Australian Cup before the Orr, but was as low as $6 on Tabcorp yesterday, behind Maldivian at $3.
Walker said the finishing spurt of Princess Coup did not surprise him, following his visit to check on her progress last week.
"She just needed some fine-tuning after a trial at Cranbourne the previous week. She did not have long off after the Melbourne Cup and had a lot of residual fitness."
Walker said Princess Coup would have one start before the Australian Cup, in the group two A$200,000 St George Stakes over 1800m at Caulfield on February 23, with Oliver on board.
The Australian Cup is at Flemington, where Princess Coup, winner of the Kelt Capital Stakes in October, should be better suited than at Caulfield.
Walker said Princess Coup was in the hands of his travelling foreman, Anthony Carstons, at Kilmore in Victoria while in Australia.
She is due to have a short spell after the Australian Cup and Walker hopes to have her back in New Zealand in time for another tilt at the Kelt.
Quarantine rules in the wake of Australia's equine influenza outbreak prevented her return to New Zealand after the Melbourne Cup, but Walker thinks she will be able to return soon.
AJC Australian Derby winner Fiumicino will have to trial before he races again after blood was detected in one of his nostrils after the race.
Trained by John Hawkes, Fiumicino was having his first start since September and his last 200 metres was the second fastest in the race as he ran on from last of the 16 runners to finish 10th.
Chief steward Des Gleeson said Fiumicino was not deemed to have bled but he will have to trial.
"He must trial over 1000 metres to the satisfaction of stewards before he races again," Gleeson said.
- NZPA
