Newmarket based Italian trainer Marco Botti overnight was savouring a weekend international feature race double which may now leave him with a two pronged assault on this year's Emirates Melbourne Cup.The Botti-trained Joshua Tree led throughout to win the Group 2 Darley Prix Kergorlay (3000m) at Deauville overnight which came just 14 hours after he prepared the Victorian-owned Jakkalberry to win the American St Leger, on the other side of the Atlantic, at Arlington in Chicago.When reminded that
Newmarket based Italian trainer Marco Botti overnight was savouring a weekend international feature race double which may now leave him with a two pronged assault on this year's Emirates Melbourne Cup.
The Botti-trained Joshua Tree led throughout to win the Group 2 Darley Prix Kergorlay (3000m) at Deauville overnight which came just 14 hours after he prepared the Victorian-owned Jakkalberry to win the American St Leger, on the other side of the Atlantic, at Arlington in Chicago.
When reminded that the past two Melbourne Cup winners had emerged from Prix Kergorlay, Botti said that the Flemington race was now 'on the radar'.
"Two runners in the Melbourne Cup, that would be something," he said with a smile, "we will definitely have to consider Australia now. It's either Australia or we could go back to Canada for the Canadian International in which he ran second last year.
"Ryan (Moore) said he gets the trip although the 3200 metres at Flemington might be a bit harder than 3000 metres here. Still he's a tough horse, he's been around the world and he copes with the travel and I think you might need that type of horse to go to Melbourne. We'll decide in the next two weeks."
Moore, who had earlier won the Darley Prix Jean Romanet on comeback mare Snow Fairy, said that Joshua Tree was 'always in control' of the Kergorlay. "He rolled along at his own pace and felt like he always had them covered," Moore said.
While a decision on Joshua Tree's program is deferred, Jakkalberry is definitely Melbourne bound. "I thought he won very nicely at Arlington and everything's going well with him. He won't run again in Europe, he'll head straight to Melbourne and maybe even run in the Caulfield Cup," Botti said.
Joshua Tree led throughout to win the Kergorlay - just as Jukebox Jury did in 2011 before going on to Melbourne where he was injured in the Cup. Andre Fabre's Brigantin was a sound closing second a length back, just ahead of the Alain de Royer Dupre trained Shahwardi and Mikel Delzangles' Vadamar. The 2010 Cup winner Americain was second last of the seven runners.
However, Americain was disadvantaged by the very slow pace just as he was in 2011 when only 10th at Deauville before winning the Moonee Valley Cup and running fourth in the Melbourne Cup - and his regular jockey Gerald Mosse was not disappointed with his effort.
"I am very pleased with him. He needed the gallop today and will improve 25 pounds on this performance," Mosse said.
So slow was the pace that the overall time of 3.17.7 was more than six seconds slower than the standard time and 3.5 seconds slower than Jukebox Jury last year.
The Kergorlay first four remain on the Melbourne 'possibles' list although their trainers were not committing to the trip immediately post-race.
Last year's Cup-winning trainer Delzangles was circumspect about Vadamar. "He will come on from this run but he's only a four-year-old and I'm not sure he's quite ready for the Melbourne Cup. Maybe next year," Delzangles said.
However, the Frenchman gave every indication short of declaring it certain that Dunaden will be back to defend his Melbourne Cup crown.
"We're leaning that way now," he said.
And 2010 winning-trainer de Royer Dupre not only has Americain, but also Shahwardi and the July 29 Deauville 3000-metre winner Lone Ranger as possible Cup candidates. (www.racingvictoria.net.au)