Last Saturday’s Doomben Cup winner Our Ivanhowe looks set to return to Melbourne and prepare for the Spring Carnival without another run during the Brisbane Winter Carnival.
Our Ivanhowe is likely to return to Melbourne after winning the Doomben Cup at Doomben. Photo by Daniel Costello.
Our Ivanhowe had been troubled with hoof issues over the Autumn Carnival and was having his first start in two months when he stormed down the middle of the track to beat Hauraki and It’s Somewhat in the Group 1 $650,000 Hardy Brothers Doomben Cup (2000m) at Doomben.
“It hasn’t been easy, he has issues,” co-trainer Anthony Freedman said.
“He obviously has high ability, but he hasn’t had a lot of luck in a lot of his races and he probably should have run first three in the Melbourne Cup.
“Nothing has really gone right and it didn’t look like it was going to go right, but fortunately he got to the outside, had momentum and finished off.
“I took him down to the peninsula and I just played with him and changed everything.”
Anthony Freedman and co-trainer and brother Lee had finally got the German import to the races fit and were hoping the well credentialed stayer would come through last Saturday’s race in one piece and then head towards the Group 2 $300,000 Evergreen Turf Brisbane Cup (2200m) at Eagle Farm on June 11.
But now that he has claimed the major prize in the Doomben Cup, Lee Freedman said that Our Ivanhowe would probably head back to their Melbourne base and do some light work before being set for another Spring Carnival campaign.
“The original plan was to run in the Brisbane Cup but I think that is out of the window,” Lee Freedman told racing.com.
“He was probably going to get 59.5 or 60kg in the race, he would get significantly more now.
“And it is not worth as much as the Doomben Cup, so the short answer is he will probably come home.”
Our Ivanhowe performed okay during the 2015 Melbourne Spring Carnival with a second to Let’s Make Adeal in the Group 3 $300,000 The Bart Cummings (2500m) at Flemington followed by a third behind Mongolian Khan and Trip To Paris in the Group 1 $3m BMW Caulfield Cup (2400m) at Caulfield.
Our Ivanhowe then raced midfield when tenth to Prince Of Penzance in the Group 1 $6m Emirates Melbourne Cup (3200m) at Flemington.
Lee Freedman said that a Spring Carnival plan is yet to be finalised but the weather would play a major influence in the final make up.
“We really haven’t discussed his spring plan just yet, he has probably reached his mark in terms of weight in the Cups,” Freedman said.
“He is a 56kg horse in those type of races and a fit and well Our Ivanhowe can be a factor for sure and God forbid if we happened to get a wet track.
“If we did get the wet, that would bring a Cox Plate in to play for a horse like him.”
In an early market order at Ladbrokes.com.au for the 2016 Melbourne Cup, Our Ivanhowe is marked a $26 chance.
Japanese stayer Fame Game heads the betting at $17 along with Group 1 Ranvet Stakes winner The United States ahead of 2015 Melbourne Cup runner up Max Dynamite, English stayer Order Of St George, the Darren Weir trained Signoff and Victoria Derby winner Tarzino all at $21.
