First the Loch Ness Monster, now the Melbourne Cup?

Ben Dorries - Sunday October 15

Scotland has had Braveheart and the Loch Ness Monster but has never had a runner in Melbourne's spring racing carnival.

Advertisement
Nakeeta will be more famous in Scotland than the Loch Ness monster if Iain Jardine's stayer wins the Melbourne Cup

Until now.

Draped in the British Union Jack, the Iain Jardine trained Nakeeta arrived in Melbourne on Saturday and is likely to do some light work at Werribee on Monday morning.

Nakeeta, a $41 Melbourne Cup prospect, won the Ebor Handicap in August and is aiming to plot a similar path to last year's Ebor winner Heartbreak City.

Heartbreak City came within a neck of winning the Melbourne Cup last year when the Irish gelding ran second behind Almandin.

Jardine told the Daily Mail in the UK he had taken heart from Heartbreak City's huge performance in the 2016 Melbourne Cup.

"Heartbreak City nearly won the Melbourne Cup last year, we have the same weight (53kg) and we won the Ebor in a slightly faster time," Jardine said.

Nakeeta, the first horse trained in Scotland set to compete in the spring carnival, was one of five international horses that arrived in Melbourne on Saturday. The other four were Irish gallopers.

Joining Nakeeta at Racing Victoria's Werribee International Horse Centre were the Joseph O'Brien trained duo US Army Ranger and Rekindling, as well as Willie Mullins' pair Max Dynamite and Thomas Hobson.

Rekindling, owned by Lloyd Williams, will be the first spring carnival runner for O'Brien who is the son of Aidan O'Brien.

Aidan O'Brien had a good day on Saturday with Irish horse Johannes Vermeer zooming into Caulfield and Melbourne Cup contention with a fast finishing second behind Gailo Chop in the Group I Ladbrokes Stakes.

The latest crop of internationals will do some light work on Monday but nothing serious until next week.

Advertisment
More Reading...
Cambridge Stud Purchase Brings Christmas Cheer to Te Akau
A barnstorming finish has delivered Te Akau Racing with a stunning late Christmas present as underrated galloper What You Wish For came from last on the home bend to take out the Harcourts Taupo Cup (2000m) in front of a bumper holiday crowd.
Sires With Winners - Sunday December 28
Here is the full list of 65 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
Full Brothers Deliver Star Stakes Double in Tasmania
Five year-old Needs Further gelding Durazzo continued his domination of the summer racing in Tasmania at Hobart on Sunday racking up his third successive stakes win when taking out the $125,000 Listed Kevin Sharkie The Inevitable Stakes (1600m), putting the spotlight on his yearling half-sister heading to 2026 MM Tasmania.
One to Watch – Gosford
Opening the program at Gosford on Sunday was a talented Zoustar three year-old that bolted in for the Joe Pride stable carrying the colours of his breeder Bill Frost’s Pendant Equine.
The $6,000 Stallion Casting a Long Shadow
While looking for an image of Snippets to go with our celebration of Snippets long form story before Christmas I was drawn to the back of my storage cupboard and there in a remote and dusty corner was a pile of Stallions books and 2001 gave me what I needed and also some serious food for thought.
Christmas Stakes Catalogue Updates Aplenty
The last week of Christmas racing has been as busy as usual and thrown up plenty of black type updates, including five new stakes winners, for upcoming yearling sale.
Rich Hill Bred Ace High Mare Chasing G2 Rich Hill Mile
Gifted four-year-old She’s A Dealer is in the right order to make a successful challenge for higher honours on New Year’s Day.
Caffe Florian Wins Listed Gosford Guineas – Full Sister MM 2026
The baldy face of Caffe Florian was the widest of all runners turning for home in the $200,000 Listed Gosford Guineas (1200m) on Sunday as the Richard Litt trained filly attempted to loop the field, a risky move on a lesser horse, but a winning one for this rising star.
Sandbar 2YO Wins $50,000 Clan O’Sullivan
A three-quarter brother to Golden Slipper winning sire Farnan, Kooringal Stud’s Sandbar is a bargain priced alternative for the breed to race owners and he produced a brilliant debut two year-old winner at Canberra on Sunday when Bar Jester landed the $50,000 Clan O’Sullivan (1000m).
Cambridge Stud Bred Mare Wins G3 Belle of the Turf – Half-Sister K1 2026
The Kris Lees stable has been in hot form over the summer and claimed another feature race win at Gosford on Sunday when progressive mare Kind Words downed the race favoruite Hyperbolic to win the $300,000 Group III Belle of the Turf Stakes (1600m).