Au Revoir is now guaranteed a start in the 2014 Melbourne Cup, but co-owner Terry Henderson has revealed that OTI Racing will wait until Saturday afternoon before deciding on who will ride the imported stayer in the Group 1 event at Flemington next Tuesday.
Au Revoir finished third behind Prince Of Penzance in the 2014 Moonee Valley Cup last weekend and will go into the Melbourne without another lead-up run. Photo by: Race Horse Photos Australia
Au Revoir was partnered by Damien Oliver when he made his Australian racing debut in the Group 2 Moonee Valley Cup (2500m) at Moonee Valley on Saturday, but Oliver has already committed to riding Johnny Murtagh-trained Mutual Regard in the Melbourne Cup.
There are a number of leading jockeys that are currently without a ride in the Melbourne Cup, but Henderson said that they will wait until the conclusion of Victoria Derby Day to make a decision on who picks up the ride when there is a clearer picture of exactly who will be in the field for ‘the race that stops a nation’.
Au Revoir got his first taste of Australian racing in the Moonee Valley Gold Cup on Cox Plate Day and the Singspiel entire took up the running in the early stages of the race, but tired slightly in the last 200 metres to finish third behind Prince Of Penzance and Le Roi in a credible Australian racing debut.
Henderson told Racing Ahead that he was happy with the performance of Au Revoir in the Moonee Valley Cup and he believes that the promising stayer will take plenty of benefit out of that run heading into the Melbourne Cup.
“When we looked at the times we were very happy with him,” Henderson said.
“He looked a bit too pretty to me and that race will bring him on.
“Damien thought that would bring him on a lot and he looks slightly tighter than he did.
“He will have a good gallop Friday morning on Gatewood and that will top him off nicely for the race.”
Lidari, Brambles, Gatewood and Au Revoir are all set to represent OTI Racing in the 2014 Melbourne Cup field, while Lord Van Percy could still work his way into the race by taking out the Group 3 Lexus Stakes (2500m) at Saturday.
Au Revoir is currently available at 2014 Melbourne Cup odds of $51 and is on the same line of betting as Gatewood, while Brambles ($26) is rated the best of the OTI-owned chances in the Melbourne Cup from Lidari ($34).
