EXCITING English stayer Gatewood has been installed as joint favourite for this year's Melbourne Cup after news that Victorian-based OTI Racing has added the four-year-old to its growing arsenal of spring carnival contenders, reports The Age.Its report says: While competitors fight over the limited supply of European staying horses already qualified for the Caulfield and Melbourne cups, OTI has elected to target less-exposed horses in an attempt to avoid the crush at the head of the European mar
EXCITING English stayer Gatewood has been installed as joint favourite for this year's Melbourne Cup after news that Victorian-based OTI Racing has added the four-year-old to its growing arsenal of spring carnival contenders, reports The Age.
Its report says: While competitors fight over the limited supply of European staying horses already qualified for the Caulfield and Melbourne cups, OTI has elected to target less-exposed horses in an attempt to avoid the crush at the head of the European market, with Gatewood a perfect example of the type of horse they have sought.
''I've loved the horse for a while now and tried to buy him outright twice but was knocked back,'' OTI director Terry Henderson said yesterday. ''I spoke to [trainer John] Gosden again at Royal Ascot and he told me that the horse's owner, George Strawbridge, was interested in bringing the horse to Melbourne and wanted to know if we would be interested to do it with him. We jumped at the chance to buy a 50 per cent stake.''
Considered to be one of the most promising handicap stayers in Britain, Gatewood has won four of his six starts and achieved a career peak when winning the listed Wolferton Handicap (2000 metres) at Royal Ascot. Despite his sparkling form, Gatewood is yet to pass the first ballot clause for the Melbourne Cup and must win a group or listed race at 2300 metres or beyond, or place at group level at that distance do so.