A year after being retired with a stud career in mind, Empires Choice is in training to join Bart Cummings' assault on a 13th Melbourne Cup.Cummings intended to stand the 2007 Queensland Derby winner at his Princes Farm property on Sydney's outskirts but planning permission for a stallion barn was not approved in time for the 2008 breeding season.In the meantime, Empires Choice has made a full recovery from a soft tissue injury which prompted his retirement in February last year."He is back in w
A year after being retired with a stud career in mind, Empires Choice is in training to join Bart Cummings' assault on a 13th Melbourne Cup.
Cummings intended to stand the 2007 Queensland Derby winner at his Princes Farm property on Sydney's outskirts but planning permission for a stallion barn was not approved in time for the 2008 breeding season.
In the meantime, Empires Choice has made a full recovery from a soft tissue injury which prompted his retirement in February last year.
"He is back in work and had a trial at Flemington on Friday," Cummings said.
"His leg has been scanned and there's no sign of the injury.
"Steven Arnold rode him in the trial and said he felt good.
"He will stay in training in Melbourne and will be entered for all the spring carnival races including the Cups."
Empires Choice was Cummings' leading Melbourne Cup hope leading into the spring of 2007 but was stranded in Sydney when the equine influenza outbreak in NSW and Queensland in August halted interstate travel.
Sirmione, who ran a close third to Empires Choice in the Derby, was one of a handful of horses Cummings sent across the border before the travel restrictions.
The Mackinnon Stakes win by Sirmione was the brightest moment for Sydney trainers during the spring but Sirmione struggled over the 3200 metres of the Melbourne Cup.
By super sire Redoute's Choice, Empires Choice is a son of Rosie's Star, a daughter of 1988 Melbourne Cup winner Empire Rose.
Cummings was in charge of Empire Rose's first Cup campaign in 1986 when she ran fifth to At Talaq.
She was sent home to New Zealand where Laurie Laxon prepared her to run second to Kensei in the 1987 Melbourne Cup and brought her back the following year when she beat Natski by a half head.
Although Empires Choice has the breeding to be a Melbourne Cup contender, Cummings also believe he has the brilliance to be competitive over shorter trips.
"He ran good races over sprint distances as a young horse," he said.
Empires Choice ran second to Casino Prince at his first start in the Skyline Stakes (1200m) and was runner-up to Tarleton in the Pago Pago over the same distance.
As an early three-year-old he was runner-up to Court Command in the $1 million Golden Rose (1400m) and finally broke his maiden over 1500 metres at Hawkesbury in March 2007.
His other two career victories came later that year when he claimed the Rough Habit Plate (2020m) on the way to winning the Queensland Derby (2400m).