Melbourne Cup candidate Excess Knowledge begins his Spring Cups campaign when he steps out in the Group 2 $250,000 Dato’ Tan Chin Nam Stakes (1600m) at Moonee Valley on Saturday.
Excess Knowledge, above, kicks off his Cups campaign in the Dato’ Tan Chin Nam Stakes at Moonee Valley. Photo by Steve Hart.
Excess Knowledge is nominated for both the Group 1 $3m BMW Caulfield Cup (2400m) at Caulfield on October 15 and the Group 1 $6m Emirates Melbourne Cup (3200m) at Flemington on November 1 and co-trainer Gai Waterhouse said that he is ready to run a race first up this weekend.
“He will run terrific. He just looks absolutely fabulous,” Waterhouse told RSN’s Racing Ahead.
“He has got that maturity about him that he didn’t have last year and Stephen Baster rode him the other day here and he said to me that his action has improved, his attitude. He is really the real deal.”
“We will have a lot of fun with him this preparation.”
Excess Knowledge has only had two runs since finishing seventh to Prince Of Penzance in the 2015 Melbourne Cup and Waterhouse and co-trainer Adrian Bott have given him one barrier trial for a second over 1030m at Rosehill on August 15 in preparation for his return for the Spring Carnival.
The English import has drawn barrier four in the fourteen horse field with Ryan Maloney to ride.
Excess Knowledge earned a spot in the 2015 Melbourne Cup when he won the Group 3 $300,000 Lexus Stakes (2500m) at Flemington and then went on to run seventh to outsider Prince Of Penzanace three days later in the ‘Race That Stops A Nation’.
Excess Knowledge began his career in England and won one race at Sandown before clients of Waterhouse brought him to Australia to race.
The Monsun stallion ran a first up second for Waterhouse when runner up in a 1400m BenchMark 90 Handicap at Randwick in May of 2014, and the master trainer then brought the import up through the classes to compete in Australia’s greatest race.
Along the way Excess Knowledge was able to win at Group level with a victory in the Group 3 $150,000 Hyland Race Colours Doncaster Prelude (1500m) at Rosehill during the 2015 Sydney Autumn Carnival as well as winning the Lexus Stakes.
At Ladbrokes.com.au Excess Knowledge is marked at $51 in the Caulfield Cup and $61 in the Melbourne Cup while in the market order for the Dato’ Tan Chin Nam Stakes he is rated a $21 chance.
In a wide betting race, the Darren Weir trained Japanese import Tosen Stardom is the $6 favourite for the Dato’ Tan Chin Nam Stakes just ahead of The United Stakes and Miss Rose De Lago at $6.50 and Mahuta and Jameka at $7.50 while Sauvito is also under the $10 mark at $9.50.
Market order for the Dato’ Tan Chin Nam Stakes at Ladbrokes.com.au: $6 Tosen Stardom, $6.50 The United States, Miss Rose De Lago, $7.50 Jameka, Mahuta, $9.50 Sauvito, $14 The Cleaner, $15 Entirely Platinum, $18 Tavago, $19 Set Square, $20 Jacquinot Bay, $21 Awesome Rock, Excess Knowledge, $41 Signoff, $51 Real Love.
