Melbourne Cup Hopeful Gilded Water to Contest Rescheduled Geelong Cup

Strategic Insights -

Gilded Water, the top contender in the Melbourne Cup, will participate in the rescheduled Geelong Cup on Thursday after Wednesday's meeting was postponed due to strong winds. Trainer Ciaron Maher stated that his preference was to run the horse at Geelong, citing better weights, despite being entered in the Moonee Valley Cup. The decision to postpone the meeting was made after jockeys expressed concerns about riding in windy conditions, with gusts of up to 65 kilometers per hour predicted between 3pm and 5pm.

Key Takeaways:

  • Gilded Water, the top contender in the Melbourne Cup, will participate in the rescheduled Geelong Cup on Thursday.
  • Trainer Ciaron Maher decided to run the horse at Geelong, citing better weights, despite being entered in the Moonee Valley Cup.
  • The decision to postpone Wednesday's meeting was made after jockeys expressed concerns about riding in windy conditions.
  • The stewards received advice from emergency services, which predicted wind gusts of up to 65 kilometers per hour between 3pm and 5pm.
  • The remaining six races from Wednesday's meeting will be run on Thursday, with the first race scheduled to start at 2.25pm.
  • Entry to the races on Thursday will be free, although crowds are expected to be down due to the public holiday in Geelong.
  • The decision to hold the meeting on Thursday was influenced by sponsorship deals, as Geelong Race Club wanted to finish the meeting on Thursday to accommodate their sponsors.

Statistics:

  • Gilded Water is currently ranked 42nd on the order of entry for the Melbourne Cup.
  • Wind gusts of up to 65 kilometers per hour were predicted between 3pm and 5pm.
  • The remaining six races from Wednesday's meeting will be run on Thursday, with several jockey changes required.

Sources:

  • Racing Victoria's Head of Racing, Paul Bloodworth
  • Trainer Ciaron Maher
  • Jockeys expressing concerns about riding in windy conditions
  • Emergency services predicting wind gusts of up to 65 kilometers per hour between 3pm and 5pm.
  • Geelong Race Club's decision to hold the meeting on Thursday due to sponsorship deals.
  • Melbourne Cup runners are required to undergo compulsory computed tomography (CT) scans of distal limbs, following protocols introduced to reduce the risk of injury.