Leading Irish trainer Dermot Weld has revealed that he is highly unlikely to send Forgotten Rules to Australia for the 2015 Melbourne Cup.
Dermot Weld has not had a Melbourne Cup runner since Galileo’s Choice finished 20th behind Green Moon in 2012. Photo by: Steve Hart
Forgotten Rules stamped himself as one of the most exciting stayers in the world when he took out the Group 2 Long Distance Cup (3219m) at Ascot on October 18 and he started his 2015 season with a win in the Group 3 Vintage Crop Stakes (2816m) at Navan on May 17, but he was beaten as favourite in both the Group 1 Gold Cup (4023m) at Royal Ascot on June 18 and the Group 3 Curragh Cup (2816m) on June 28.
Weld said that Forgotten Rules was not suited by the firm track in either the Gold Cup or the Curragh Cup and he told RSN that his fears of a firm track is the reason that he does not plan to run Forgotten Rules in the Melbourne Cup.
“He came back and he won the Vintage Crop, which is a very good Group race in Ireland and in the Gold Cup he finished third,” Weld said.
“He wasn’t beaten very far, but once again he raced on a firm surface and I probably run him a bit quickly again at the Curragh.
“That was on pretty fast ground by our standards and he loves to get the cut out of the ground.
“I think that it would be unlikely that he would go for a Melbourne Cup this year.”
Weld put the Melbourne Cup on the world stage when he won the 1993 edition of the race with Vintage Crop and he won ‘the race that stops a nation’ again with Media Puzzle in 2002, but he has not had a runner in the race since Galileo’s Choice finished 20th behind Green Moon in 2012.
Weld believes that the number of European stayers being purchased by Australian-based owners have made it very difficult to find the right horse for the Melbourne Cup and he called on the Australian breeding industry to change their outlook on stayers.
“The problem now days from my point of view is not the travel because it is always going to be difficult with quarantine, but the trouble is getting a horse for the Melbourne Cup,” Weld said.
“So many European horses are being purchased by Australians at huge prices.
“They should breed more staying horses in Australia to be honest with you.”
Forgotten Rules is currently available at 2015 Melbourne Cup odds of $34 with Ladbrokes, while Fame Game ($15) remains a clear favourite from Hartnell ($17), Mongolian Khan ($17), Contributer ($21), Protectionist ($21), Signoff ($21) and Snow Sky ($21).
