Cumani planning another Melbourne Cup assault

Luca Cumani’s passion to win this year’s Melbourne Cup is already in the planning with OTI Racing owned stayers Mobaco and Irish galloper Moldowney being aimed at Australia’s greatest race.

Cumani thought he had the Cup in 2008 when Bauer went across the line locked together with the Bart Cummings trained Viewed with the Cups King getting the judge’s decision in one of the closest of the finishes in the great race.

And that disappointment of being beaten in a tight finish followed Purple Moon’s second to the Efficient the year before.

“Bauer’s was disappointing because there was a hope until we heard the announcement. The way he was finishing, probably another stride he would have been in front,” Cumani said.

Cumani admits that he is engrossed in Australia’s greatest race and can’t wait to get his hands on the Cup.

“I was certainly enthralled by it. The moment you participate once, you want to come back,” Cumani said.

“I’d like a Melbourne Cup to my name.”

Cumani had two runners in the 2011 Cup with Manighar ridden by Damien Oliver finishing fifth to Dunaden and Drunken Sailor with Dwayne Dunn ending up in twelfth spot and both gallopers have since been transferred to Australian trainers with great success.

And the top Newmarket trainer was out of luck last year with his top fancy Mount Athos having a torrid run to finish fifth to Green Moon with Ryan Moore and the OTI owned My Quest For Peace never in the mix finishing in tenth spot with Corey Brown.

Mobaco is already in Cumani’s Newmarket stables while newly acquired Moldowney will join the team to prepare for the Group 1 $6m Emirates Melbourne Cup (3200m) at Flemington in November.

“It’s still early days, Luca has him in work at the moment and we hope to get him to the races around April-May,” OTI Racing Director Terry Henderson said of Mobaco.

“We purchased him around October last year, he’s a nice horse but he’s probably still only a 51.5kg type horse so he’ll need to lift his rating a little to get him up in the handicaps.”

OTI Racing’s spending spree also saw it purchase Montjeu four year old Only A Pleasure and Ruscello, a gelding by Cape Cross who will be trained by Ed Walker at Newmarket.

“We’ve also purchased Only A Pleasure who is rated around 106 and would probably get 52kgs,” Henderson said.

“He will head to Dubai for the two-mile race on Dubai World Cup night but his main target is the Melbourne Cup with Andre Fabre.”

The  Group 3 US$1m Dubai Gold Cup (3200m) on turf at Meydan in Dubai in March will be a good test for Only A Pleasure and Henderson will get a better guide to his chances in the Melbourne Cup later in the year.

“We’ve still got a long way to go with Moldowney and Ruscello because they are lower rated horses but they are still nice young types,” Henderson said.

About The Author

Mark Mazzaglia

Mark is a passionate journalist with a life-time involvement in the racing industry. He spent many years as an analyst and form expert at the Courier Mail and also has hands-on experience working with some of Queensland’s top trainers.