The Emirates Melbourne Cup is almost four months away, but a couple of favourites will have their preparations ramped up this Friday morning.
Gai Waterhouse-trained imports Michelangelo and Fiorente are among the headline acts of a star-studded trial program at Randwick.
Fiorente, who shares the $13 second line of the TAB’s Melbourne Cup betting with Mount Athos, will run in an Open trial over 1200m.
The Irish entire, a son of Monsun who was formerly trained by Sir Michael Stoute, has had just two starts in Australia – a second to Green Moon in last year’s Melbourne Cup when on debut for Waterhouse and a slashing third behind All Too Hard in the All Aged Stakes in April.
British four-year-old Michelangelo will make his first public appearance in Australia in a 1400m Open trial.
The son of Galileo, who has won two of his five starts and finished third in the Group 1 English St Leger, is a $26 chance for the Melbourne Cup.
He isn’t the only highly-rated Waterhouse-trained import in the 1400m trial with last year’s Group 1 Metropolitan Handicap winner and Melbourne Cup sixth placegetter Glencadam Gold also engaged, along with The Queen’s Cox Plate hope Carlton House.
Friday’s trial program, which kicks off at 8.15am, will also signal the next phase in the comeback of popular sprinter Hay List.
Black Caviar’s former arch rival, winner of last year’s Newmarket Handicap, is down to contest the 800m Open trial.
Hay List has not been to the races since his distance second-last behind Black Caviar in the Group 1 T.J. Smith Stakes on 13 April.
Nominal fancies for some of the spring three-year-old features will also be in action with Golden Slipper placegetter Sweet Idea and impressive Darley filly Montsegur to go around in 740m hit-outs, while Waterhouse-trained colt Whittington will trial over 1050m.
The full list of acceptances for Friday’s Randwick trials are available via the link