THREE-YEAR-OLD Rundle may be the new Melbourne Cup talking point if he takes out Sunday's St Leger Stakes at Flemington as is expected, but owner Lloyd Williams does not always measure success by victory alone, reports The Age.It says: For while Rundle can stake his claim as a stayer of the future in the 2800-metre event, 35 minutes after he runs, Williams will keenly watch three stayers imported from England, who will make their debuts in the owner's familiar colours in an unsuitable 1200-metre
THREE-YEAR-OLD Rundle may be the new Melbourne Cup talking point if he takes out Sunday's St Leger Stakes at Flemington as is expected, but owner Lloyd Williams does not always measure success by victory alone, reports The Age.
It says: For while Rundle can stake his claim as a stayer of the future in the 2800-metre event, 35 minutes after he runs, Williams will keenly watch three stayers imported from England, who will make their debuts in the owner's familiar colours in an unsuitable 1200-metre race.
Williams is always realistic when he assesses his horses and he said yesterday that he did not expect the imported trio Grand Ducal, Muir and Martial Law to trouble the field of local sprinters in the Kokoda Track Handicap.
But Sunday's Australian debut for the three lightly raced horses still ranks as an important step in his quest for the 150th Melbourne Cup this November. ''They were bought as 3200-metre horses and so they won't be a factor in that race on Saturday, but it's about getting them acclimatised,'' the owner said. ''They might just have the one run and be turned out again but it will serve them in the long term well I think.''
Earlier this week, four-year-old gelding Stillman was the first to step out on Australian soil of ''a dozen or so'' European-born and raced stayers that Williams purchased late last year with an eye to winning a fourth Melbourne Cup.