Melbourne Cup beckons for Cavalryman

Friday 1 August 2014, 8:59am

The Melbourne Cup beckons for Cavalryman after he led home a 1-2 for Sheikh Mohammed's Godolphin in the Goodwood Cup.

Under an astute ride from veteran jockey Kieren Fallon, Cavalryman (5-1) held off stablemate Ahzeemah (12-1) by a neck at the end of the two-mile (3200m) Group Two.

"He is a very easy horse to train, I think a mile and six (furlongs) or two miles are the best trips for him," trainer Saeed Bin Suroor said.

"He can go for the Lonsdale Cup now and then we'll talk to Sheikh Mohammed about going to the Melbourne Cup.

"Ahzeemah could also go for the Melbourne Cup. I would like to take three."

Last year's Goodwood Cup winner Black Panther, eighth in the 2013 Melbourne Cup, finished third while Estimate finished a disappointing last.

Owned by The Queen, Estimate was sent off the 2-1 favourite but she was the first to buckle in the straight.

The Sir Michael Stoute-trained mare won the Ascot Gold Cup in 2013 and was only narrowly denied by Leading Light in her bid for back-to-back successes in the race in June.

However, her Gold Cup display has been overshadowed after the five-year-old was one of seven horses to have tested positive for morphine, which is thought to have appeared in her system due to contaminated feed.

"Ryan (Moore) said she was never happy, right from the moment he jumped off," John Warren, The Queen's racing and bloodstock advisor, said:

"It's complicated now. We hoped if she did well today we'd be brave enough to go for the Irish St Leger, to stop off and see if she had enough to go for the Melbourne Cup.

"That was on the back-burner as an idea but as she doesn't handle soft ground, there are so few options for her.

"I think we're back to the drawing board now. But I think after today (Melbourne) is probably out of the window."

– AFP

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