Racing: Vouvray a real prospect

SYDNEY - Vouvray will accomplish a long-term plan for her New Zealand owners if she wins Saturday's A$2.5 million ($2.73 million) Caulfield Cup in Melbourne.

The five-year-old Zabeel mare will be competing in her first handicap race since her fourth in last year's Caulfield Cup. She has been restricted to weight-for-age racing since then, running up a stack of minor placings in group race events.

The decision not to press on for the Melbourne Cup last year surprised many, but managing owner Brent Taylor from Waikato's Trelawney Stud said it was an easy decision.

"It was just a matter of reality," he told NZPA yesterday.

"She would not have been able to cope with it as a four-year-old mare. It would have broken her heart."

A year on and Vouvray was a more mature and adaptable racehorse, ready to cope with the challenges of the Melbourne spring carnival, Taylor said.

The decision to keep her away from handicap racing has had its downside.

"It was difficult at weight-for-age knowing that often she didn't have much of a chance of winning against the likes of Makybe Diva, Elvstroem and Grand Armee," Taylor said.

But the reward has been Vouvray getting into Saturday's feature at Caulfield with the light impost of 51.5kg.

Victorian trainer Peter Moody is happy with her condition.

"She's much stronger than last year and she's made my job so much easier this time around, as last year I sort of had to nurse her through the Caulfield Cup," Moody told The Age newspaper.

Moody took over the mare's training when Paul O'Sullivan transferred from Matamata to Hong Kong after her Queensland Oaks win last year.

Moody said the favourite El Segundo is an exciting prospect but said Vouvray was up to toppling him.

"He's potentially the best horse in the land when you look for a horse coming through the ranks," he said of El Segundo.

"I mean Makybe Diva's got that title at the moment but he's (El Segundo) on the way up and capable of developing into anything.

"But in saying that, I am taking a very seasoned mare into the race and she might have the wood on these late inclusions (El Segundo and Leica Falcon)."

Moody wasn't too concerned by Vouvray's barrier draw of 14 as she usually settles in the second half of the field.

Vouvray, who is owned by members of the Taylor family and friends, will carry most of the Kiwi focus in the cup, if third emergency Bazelle does not gain a start.

Bazelle's chances brightened a little today with the scratching of Fight Your Corner from the Dubai-based Godolphin stable, which allowed Queensland Derby winner Lachlan River into the field.

Bazelle was the only acceptor in the race with a New Zealand trainer - Paul Jenkins from Matamata.

New Zealanders are involved in the ownership of Railings, while Portland Singa is trained by Neville McBurney, originally from Ngaruawahia. He has been based at Wyong, New South Wales, for more than 25 years.

While much of the media attention this week has focused on El Segundo and Leica Falcon and the furore over English stayer Carte Diamond gaining a start, Vouvray looms as a creditable prospect. Bookmakers have her around $13.

Taylor says he can't be too confident heading into a race such as the Caulfield Cup, but he knows the mare could not have had a better preparation and is ready to run a big race. "The one thing we don't need is bad luck."

- NZPA