Disappointments of the 2013 Spring Racing Carnival

The spring carnival was full of heart-warming stories which we looked at last week but the reality of racing is, when someone wins – someone has to lose. So who were the biggest disappointments of the carnival?

Darren Weir
Darren Weir was supposed to be the headline trainer of the spring. Having dominated country racing in Victoria for so long, he was expected to breakout to become a prominent metropolitan trainer over the carnival

Amazingly, Weir has never won a Group 1 in Victoria but over the carnival that should have changed.

In his stable was Melbourne Cup favourite Puissance De Lune, Platelet who was coming off dual Group 1 sprints in Adelaide, and exquisitely bred Oaks prospect, May’s Dream.

Weir took a big training gamble when he started Puissance De Lune’s campaign in the PB Lawrence Stakes. It meant the grey would need to be up for three months and plans went haywire midway through the campaign when Weir changed his target from the Melbourne Cup to the Cox Plate.

He should have won his first Melbourne Group 1 when Puissance De Lune went to the Makybe Diva Stakes as the firm favourite but was overrun by Foreteller in the final stride.

From there, it was all downhill for Puissance De Lune, culminating in a disappointing Cox Plate run where an injury sustained has put the grey’s career in doubt.

Six months ago, Platelet won consecutive Group 1s by taking out the Sangster Stakes and Goodwood Handicap over in Adelaide.

The mare looked to continue her winning form by taking out the Group 2 Gilgai Stakes but a shocker in the Group 2 Caulfield Sprint ended any further Group 1 ambitions for her during the carnival.

A dashing run behind Guelph in the Group 1 Caulfield Guineas shot May’s Dream up to the top of the VRC Oaks market.

With the acceleration of New Approach and staying prowess of Melbourne Cup runner-up She’s Archie, May’s Dream was the perfect Oaks filly for Weir.

But a disappointing run in the Wakeful and a terrible run in the Oaks quickly left Weir still on zero Group 1 Melbourne wins.

Luca Cumani
For the eighth time, Luca Cumani has ventured to Melbourne and departed in bitter disappointment. With Mount Athos who firmly challenging for Melbourne Cup favouritism, Cumani was extremely confident his stayer would improve on last year’s fifth placed finish.

Owner Dr Marwin Koukash had been talking up his horse all week and declaring him the winner to anyone that would listen.

Cumani has trained two Melbourne Cup runner-ups with Purple Moon in 2007 and Bauer in 2008. On the Saturday night before the Cup however, quiet confidence turned to despair when Koukash drew barrier 22.

Cumani was rightfully infuriated twelve months ago when Ryan Moore gave Mount Athos an awful ride and improvement this year was undeniable.

Cumani was right. Mount Athos finished third this year and Cumani’s frustrations have been compounded by the fact Mount Athos probably would have won from a better barrier.

Cumani has voiced how difficult the Melbourne Cup is to win. Hopefully we’ll see him a ninth time because he is one person who is truly deserving of some luck in the race.

Lucky Nine
Touted as one of the world’s best sprinters alongside Lord Kanaloa (Japan) and Moonlight Cloud (France), expectations were high on Lucky Nine (Hong Kong).

Targeted at the Group 1 VRC Sprint Classic with a lead up run in the Group 1 Manikato Stakes, the loss of Black Caviar from Australia’s racing ranks should have meant a win for Lucky Nine would be a walk in the park.

Trainer Casper Fownes declared his star sprinter to be 85 percent when running a super impressive second behind Buffering in the Manikato Stakes. Out in the open straight of Flemington where he would get the freedom like he does at Sha Tin, it was no surprise to see Lucky Nine start as the clear favourite in the VRC Sprint Classic.

With a $600,000 bonus on offer with victory, there was no doubt Lucky Nine would be crucified in running and leave nothing in the tank.

Unfortunately for Fownes, Australia’s sprinters are the best in the world. With Hay List and Black Caviar on the sideline, Buffering turned up and made it back to back Group 1s by taking out the VRC Sprint Classic in what was the best run of his career.

A deflated Lucky Nine will now head home and be out of the running for the Global Sprint Challenge bonus after a lacklustre trip to Australia.

The Lloyd Williams Imports
A bit of a tough call here considering he won last year’s Melbourne Cup with the imported Green Moon but he undoubtedly would have been expecting a better season from his high priced brigade of imports.

Over the season, his best runner was Caulfield Cup winner Fawkner who was locally bred and did the Australian breeding industry a great favour by taking out a spring major. But the big money was spent on Green Moon, Sea Moon, Seville, Masked Marvel and Mourayan who all lined up as one of Williams’ six Cup runners.

With a quarter of the field in the Cup, the barrier draw was almost comical with track riders Eddie Cassar and Anthony Darmanin splitting the duties to draw for all six horses. To their luck, five of the six drew excellent barriers with the worst being Mourayan in 19, but there was no doubt he was the worst chance of the six.

On Derby Day, there were murmurs around that Williams was going to scratch one of his six runners to ensure Bart Cummings’ Precedence made the final field. The racing world would have been in deer admiration of Williams’ had done so but he ultimately didn’t which is one of the reasons he makes this list.

In the end, his best of the lot was Fawkner who finished eighth.

Seville finished 12th, Sea Moon 13th, Mourayan 15th, Masked Marvel 18th and Green Moon 21st.

The Caulfield Cup pay check will be monetary consolation but with his eyes fixed firmly on the Melbourne Cup, Lloyd Williams had a disappointing season.