Pornichet to be nominated for Cox Plate and Melbourne Cup

Trainer Gai Waterhouse will nominate French import Pornichet for both the 2015 Cox Plate and the Melbourne Cup after his stunning win in the Group 1 $650,000 The Bundaberg Rum Doomben Cup (2000m) at Doomben last Saturday.

Doomben Cup winner Pornichet will be nominated for the Cox Plate and the Melbourne Cup. Photo by Daniel Costello

Doomben Cup winner Pornichet will be nominated for the Cox Plate and the Melbourne Cup. Photo by Daniel Costello.

Waterhouse has had been talking up the chances of Pornichet heading towards the Group 1 $3m Cox Plate (2040m) at Moonee Valley in the Spring and said in her weekly blog on her website that she would also nominate the flashy stallion in the Group 1 $6m Emirates Melbourne Cup (3200m) at Flemington on the first Tuesday in November.

“I can tell you all right now that the former Frenchman will be nominated for the Cox Plate, and he also will be nominated for the Melbourne Cup,” Waterhouse wrote.

Waterhouse is yet to win a Cox Plate but collected her first Melbourne Cup trophy with English import Fiorente in 2013.

While Waterhouse admits that Pornichet has yet to reach the standard of Fiorente, she can still see further improvement in the Vespone stallion.

“He is not Fiorente just yet, but he is certainly doing everything right as we speak,” Waterhouse wrote.

“This was a fantastic win from a brilliant racehorse; a horse that I have only scratched the surface of at this stage.”

Waterhouse was very excited with the way Pornichet put paid to his opposition in the weight for age Doomben Cup and was impressed with the way he exploded away the from the field at the top of the straight.

“It takes a very special horse to gap a Group One field as Pornichet did on Saturday,” Waterhouse wrote.

“He found the front very early, but was still strong on the line. The turn of foot the entire displayed is a perfect example of what the European bred middle horses need should they be successful in Australia.”

“I have to train speed into the legs of these imports. Pornichet was always a classy middle distance horse in the making, however he needed to learn my way of doing things. He has now clearly acclimatised to the Lady Trainer’s way of doing things and a big spring preparation lay ahead.”

Following his Doomben Cup win Pornichet is now highly place in the Cox Plate market order at Ladbrokes.com.au and is listed at $11 alongside of the European galloper Ivanhowe.

Godolphin’s weight for age star Contributer heads the market at $8 just ahead of the  Queen Elizabeth Stakes winner Criterion at $9 with Hartnell and Doncaster Mile winner Kermadec at $13.

Pornichet is marked as a $41 chance in early Melbourne Cup markets.

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.