New Zealand stayer Capecover needs to show he is on target for the Melbourne Cup by winning Wednesday's Fulton Hogan Mayoral Charity Handicap at Moonee Valley.The $100,000 event over 2500m has been added to the program following the cancellation of last Saturday's Mornington meeting which was to feature the RM Ansett Classic (2400m) in which Capecover had been topweight with 58.5kg.Twelve of the horses who were engaged in the Ansett are running in Wednesday's event where Capecover is the topweig
New Zealand stayer Capecover needs to show he is on target for the Melbourne Cup by winning Wednesday's Fulton Hogan Mayoral Charity Handicap at Moonee Valley.
The $100,000 event over 2500m has been added to the program following the cancellation of last Saturday's Mornington meeting which was to feature the RM Ansett Classic (2400m) in which Capecover had been topweight with 58.5kg.
Twelve of the horses who were engaged in the Ansett are running in Wednesday's event where Capecover is the topweight with 58.5kg following the scratching of reigning Sydney Cup winner Ista Kareem who was to carry 61kg.
Capecover, prepared by Alexander Fieldes, is well known in Australia having won last year's Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2500m) at Flemington after being balloted out of the Melbourne Cup.
The Cape Cross gelding would have gained a berth in the 2008 Cup had he won the Saab Quality (2500m) at Flemington, a race in which he didn't have a lot of luck before finishing third to Moatize, beaten just over a length.
Fieldes, a meat inspector who took two months off to prepare Capecover on Paddy Payne's property near Ballarat last year, has done the same again this spring with the Melbourne Cup his major focus.
The seven-year-old, weighted to carry 51.5kg in the Cup which is 8kg below weight-for-age, is qualified and currently 35th in the elimination order.
Capecover began his campaign with unplaced runs over 1400m and 1600m in New Zealand before running eighth to Red Lord in the Group Three Naturalism Stakes (2000m) at Caulfield on September 19.
"I wasn't going to run him at Mornington because of the wet track but I've decided to run him tomorrow because it looks a weaker race than The Bart Cummings on Saturday and he would have had to travel three hours or so for the Benalla Cup on Sunday," Fieldes said.
"A lot hinges on tomorrow. Moonee Valley is not really his track but if he can't win this race he'd have no hope in a Melbourne Cup and I would look at easier options such as the Bendigo Cup, Saab Quality and the Queen Elizabeth Stakes.
"If he wins tomorrow he would go on to the Herbert Power Stakes and either the Geelong Cup or Moonee Valley Cup before the Melbourne Cup.
Craig Williams, who has ridden Capecover five times and won the Queen Elizabeth Stakes on him last spring, again takes the mount on Wednesday.