French stayer Verema has continued to find support in 2013 Melbourne Cup betting markets; with the exciting mare now into $12 as favourite Fiorente continues to drift.
Trainer Alain de Royer-Dupre is confident that Verema can replicate the feat of his star stayer Americain who won the 2010 Melbourne Cup. Photo by: Race Horse Photos Australia
Verema is trained by Alain de Royer-Dupre, who prepared Americain to win the 2010 Melbourne Cup, and has followed a similar path to the ‘the race that stops a nation’ as the Dynaformer stallion.
The Barathea mare started her 2013 racing campaign with a strong third in the Group 3 Dubai Gold Cup (3200m) in Dubai and finished an unlucky second behind Last Train in the Group 3 Prix De Barbeville (3100m) in France before producing the worst performance of her career in the Group 2 Prix Vicomtesse Vigier (3100m).
She returned to her best form with a win in the Group 2 Prix Maurice De Nieuil (2800m) and made it two victories in a row when she outstayed Joshua Tree to win the Group 2 Prix Kergorlay (3000m) – the same race won by Americain before he came to Australia for the Melbourne Cup.
Royer-Dupre told TVN that Verema was a different horse to Americain, who was also priced at $12 in Melbourne Cup betting markets before his win, but is confident that the four-year-old also has the acceleration required to win the $6 million Group 1 event at Flemington next Tuesday.
“I didn’t want a prep race like with Americain (who ran in the Geelong Cup before the Melbourne Cup),” Royer-Dupre said.
“She races best very fresh and she doesn’t accept too much work.
“She has a good turn of foot and to do well at Flemington you need a horse with a good turn of foot.”
Verema walked and trotted a lap of the track at the International Equine Centre at Werribee alongside 2011 Melbourne Cup winner Dunaden this morning and out of all the European-trained horses at the quarantine facility, has been given the lightest work-load thus far.
Royer-Dupre confirmed that this was the way that Verema normally worked in France and said that he won’t be changing her routine before the biggest race of her career.
“She never shows much in the morning and I don’t want to change that now,” Royer-Dupre said.
The leading French trainer is clearly full of confidence heading towards next Tuesday but he rates Tres Blue, who has also been well supported in 2013 Melbourne Cup betting markets, the major danger to his classy mare.
“Tres Blue has better quality than my filly but he is a three-year-old, so how he does he handle trip and how will he accept the parade.
“I also like Willie Mullins’ horse Simenon; he looks very well and Willie is a great man with a horse.”
This is the fourth straight year that Royer-Dupre has come to Australia for the Melbourne Cup; with Americain winning in 2010 before finishing fourth in 2011 and eleventh in last year’s race.
