The Group 1 $3m BMW Caulfield Cup (2400m) at Caulfield on October 17 will be the Spring goal for the Tony McEvoy trained Big Memory.
Big Memory’s Spring Carnival goal is the Caulfield Cup at Caulfield. Photo by Race Horse Photos Australia.
The leading South Australian based trainer believes that the 2400m is as far as Big Memory can run and has ruled out the Group 1 $6m Emirates Melbourne Cup (3200m) at Flemington on November 3 as a Spring target.
McEvoy has tried Big Memory over 3200m on two previous occasions and he was well beaten when eleventh to Outback Joe in the 2014 Group 2 $400,000 Tattsbet Adelaide Cup (3200m) at Morphettville and at his last start when eighth to Grand Marshall in the Group 1 $1.6m Schweppes 150th Sydney Cup (3200m) at Randwick on April 11, the second day of ‘The Championships’ during the 2015 Sydney Autumn Carnival.
“He doesn’t run the two miles,” McEvoy told AAP.
“We’ve tried him twice now in the Adelaide Cup and the Sydney Cup and both times he was a winning chance to the turn and then no winning chance in the straight.”
“The Caulfield Cup is the goal but he would have to be right at the peak of his form.”
“There’s also the Metropolitan in Sydney, and there’s some nice country Cups.
“But I’d love to get him to the Caulfield Cup.”
Big Memory galloped with stablemate Alpine Eagle in between races at Morphettville last Saturday and McEvoy said that he would outline their Spring Carnival program after they trial at Morphettville on Friday.
Big Memory was only beaten two and three quarter lengths when tenth to Admire Rakti in last year’s Caulfield Cup which followed a win over Signoff in the Group 2 $200,000 Herbert Power Stakes (2400m) at Caulfield a week earlier.
The Duke Of Marmalade gelding then finished off his Spring campaign with a second to Sighoff in the Group 3 $300,000 Lexus Stakes (2500m) at Flemington on November 1 followed by a third to Le Roi in the Group 3 $300,000 Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2600m) at Flemington seven days later.
Big Memory then failed to win a race from five starts during the Autumn but was placed twice with a third to Index Linked in the Listed $120,000 Mornington Cup Prelude (2000m) at Caulfield on February 28 and then two starts later ran second to Banca Mo in the Listed $350,000 Mornington Cup (2400m) at Mornington on March 28 before heading to Sydney for the Sydney Cup.
In early Caulfield Cup betting at Ladbrokes.com.au, Big Memory is marked as a $67 chance in the market order that has Japanese stayer Fame Game the $10 favourite ahead of Australian Derby winner Mongolian Khan at $13.
On the next line of betting at $15 is the South Australian Oaks and Derby winner Delicacy, Queensland Oaks winner Winx, The BMW winner Hartnel and Kris Lees’ French import Singing.
