Cup runneth under: How to improve Aussie horses' chances

Another year, another running of the $6 million International Benefit, also known as the Melbourne Cup.

Another year when Australasian-bred horses struggle to make the barrier, let alone figure in the placings.

You don’t need five fingers to count the locals, and it ain’t going to change.

The Australian breeding industry aint going to change. It is far easier for local trainers to find bargain imports who can stay; bargains which are of Group-Three or listed standard overseas.

The Cup winners are now the better-standard visitors such as Rekindling, Protectionist, Dunaden and Americain.

Since Shocking won in 2009, the sorry record of the locals reads Maluckyday and So You Think, second and third respectively in 2010, Who Shot the Barman, third in 2014, and a 100-1 winner in Prince of Penzance in 2015.

Once time-honoured races like the Brisbane and Perth Cups and The Metropolitan have been reduced in distance, and the Metrop and Sydney Cup are full of imports who were also-rans in the northern hemisphere.

Winx apart, Australasia would struggle to find a small field of genuine Group-One gallopers beyond 1600m.

The most damning commentary on the state of Australian racing is that the Magic Millions carnival can stage an 1800m race and call it the Stayers’ Cup.

There is no solution – the breeding industry dictates there can’t be – but there is a consolation available.

The Sydney trumps could atone for the most appalling innovation in the history of Australian sport, The Subterranean AKA The Everest.

The trumps are boasting the 1200m Randwick scamper is the world’s richest turf race; $10 million this year, $13 million next year and who knows, $15 million, $20 million, to infinity and beyond.

Fortunately, there is a consolation available if the trumps wish to atone for their great sin.

For years The Subterranean would have attracted the same field for $2 million, why not keep the 70-second scamper to $10 million?

Ask potential starters to pony up, say, $6 million, the same prize as the International Benefit, and have a race to supersede the Magic Millions Stayers Cup.

Imports would be banned; it would be Australasian-bred horses only.

It couldn’t be 3200m like the erstwhile Melbourne Cup; the locals might get the staggers at the 2000m.

Restore it to The Metropolitan’s original distance of 2600m. That compromise should allow the locals to be nursed around, and who knows, they might even train on to make it to Flemington.

What to call it?

Well, there’s already The Everest, AKA The Subterranean.

You could call it the Mt Kosciusko, or better still, The Dinky Di.