No Melbourne Cup for Signoff, out for the Spring

One time Melbourne Cup favourite Signoff is out of the Spring Carnival after failing to respond to treatment for a leg injury quickly enough.

Signoff, above, is out of contention for the 2016 Melbourne Cup at Flemington. Photo by Jenny Barnes.

Signoff, above, is out of contention for the 2016 Melbourne Cup at Flemington. Photo by Jenny Barnes.

Signoff had been at the top of the market order at $17 with Ladbrokes.com.au when the weights were released for the Group 1 $6m Emirates Melbourne Cup (3200m) at Flemington on November 1.

Trainer Darren Weir informed Racing Victoria Stewards that Signoff would not be continuing in his Spring Carnival Campaign because of the leg injury.

The seven year old had two early Spring Carnival runs for an eleventh in the Listed $100,000 Penny Edition Stakes (1400m) at Morphettville Parks on August 20 and a thirteenth in the Group 2 $250,000 Dato’ Tan Chin Nam Stakes (1600m) at Moonee Valley on September 3.

Weir was forced to abandon a trip to Sydney to run in the Group 2 $200,000 Ascend Sales Trophies Hill Stakes (2000m) at Randwick on September 17 when Signoff cut his leg.

The leading Victorian trainer had then planned to run the seven year old in the  Listed $120,000 italktravel Harry White Classic (2400m) at Caulfield last Saturday but Weir was forced to scratch again with the injured leg not healing as expected.

“It’s frustrating when you get a horse with the ability he has got.  It is just a few niggling problems that he has got, it can be very frustrating,” Weir told RSN’s Racing Ahead.

“This is not a bad injury at all, something that you just have to stop and it will sort of fix itself in six weeks so it is not career ending. Just a pain in the backside for the timing wise.”

“We will just give him a little break and maybe head to the Sydney Cup (in the Autumn) or something like that.”

The 2017 Group 1 $2m Sydney Cup (3200m) will be run at Randwick during ‘The Championships’ as part of the Sydney Autumn Racing Carnival.

Signoff had shown his ability as a quality stayer after finishing fourth to Protectionist in the 2014 Melbourne Cup after winning the Group 3 $300,000 Lexus Stakes (2500m) at Flemington three days earlier.

The Aidan O’Brien trained Irish stayer Bondi Beach heads up the Melbourne Cup market order at $13 with Ladbrokes.com.au ahead of the John O’Shea trained Hartnell at $15 and Ranvet Stakes winner The United States and English stayer Big Orange both at $17.

Early Melbourne Cup market order at Ladbrokes.com.au: $13 Bondi Beach, $15 Hartnell, $17 The United States, Big Orange, $21 Heatbreak City, Housesofparliament, Jameka, Our Ivanhowe, Wicklow Brave, $26 Idaho, Erupt, Exosphere, $31 Almandin, Curren Mirotic, Gallante, Scottish, Tarzino, Who Shot Thebarman.

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.