Talented mare My Ambivalent has been ruled out of the 2014 Caulfield Cup this weekend due to bruising on her off fore foot.
Lidari will run in the 2014 Caulfield Cup this weekend following the scratching of English mare My Ambivalent. Photo by: Race Horse Photos Australia
Connections of My Ambivalent informed Racing Victoria Stewards yesterday that the Authorized mare had missed two days of work due to a stone bruise on her off fore foot and assistant trainer David Eustace confirmed that the five-year-old could not afford to miss another day of work heading into the Group 1 Caulfield Cup (2400m).
Eustace told TVN this morning that My Ambivalent had almost fully recovered from the setback, but trainer Roger Varian did not want to run the mare if she was not at 100 percent fitness and would instead save the Group 1 placegetter for the Group 1 Melbourne Cup (3200m) at Flemington on November 4.
“We’ve had to draw stumps on the Caulfield Cup, it’s a real shame,” Eustace said.
“It’s just slightly not right, but we can’t go into the race when you are not A1.
“When you are this close to the race it makes it difficult.
“Now we are not faced with a massive race against time now to get right for the Melbourne Cup.”
The scratching of My Ambivalent means that Lidari has earnt a start in the 2014 Caulfield Cup field and will be having his first race start over 2400 metres since arriving in Australia at the end of 2012.
Lidari had previously shown his best from over a mile in Australia, taking out the Group 2 Blamey Stakes (1600m) at Flemington during the 2014 Melbourne Festival Of Racing, but this preparation has settled in his races and given trainer Peter Moody the indication that he can run out a staying trip.
The Acclamation entire resumed with a fifth place finish in the Group 2 P.B. Lawrence Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield on August 16 and was fourth in both the Group 2 Dato’ Tan Chin Nam Stakes (1600m) at Moonee Valley on September 6 and the Group 1 Underwood Stakes (1800m) at Caulfield on September 20 before he stamped himself as a genuine Caulfield Cup contender with a second place finish behind Lucia Valentina in the Group 1 Turnbull Stakes (2000m) at Flemington on October 4.
Lidari is currently available at 2014 Caulfield Cup odds of $17, while Lucia Valentina ($4.80) is a clear early favourite from Bande ($9), Admire Rakti ($11) and Dandino ($11).
