The VRC have added an intriguing piece to the Melbourne Cup puzzle this year in making the Group II Belmont Gold Cup (2m) on turf at Saratoga a win and you’re in race towards the Melbourne Cup and the winner earlier this week was a horse called The Grey Wizard.
An Irish bred son of Caravaggio trained by Graham Motion, They Grey Wizard produced a brilliant surge surge to snatch a thrilling last stride win earning his ticket, should connections want it, to the 2024 Melbourne Cup.
A five year-old gelding that started life in Ireland being trained by Joseph O’Brien, he joined the stable of Motion in 2022 and was second in the Belmont Gold Cup last year before returning to win the staying feature 12 months later.
“We are going to Melbourne I guess!” Graham Motion said.
"I did think about this [the Melbourne Cup] with a horse I won the Breeders Cup with Better Talk Now a long time ago...it’s a tall order but it’s fun to think about it.
“I have spent some time in Sydney when I was quite young...but I have never been to the Melbourne Cup. I am a big fan of Australian racing, and I am a big fan of international racing.”
The Grey Wizard runs for Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and the late Albert Frassetto, whose sons John and Christopher were at the track.
Connections will give serious thought to an Australian visit and Eclipse have had the Flemington experience previously as their colours were carried by the Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott trained staying filly Pinot, who won the VRC Oaks in 2017.
The Grey Wizard has the overall record of four wins and five placings from 15 starts and is a half-brother to stakes-winning stayer Fancy Man (IRE), who is also now in Australia and trained by Annabel Neasham.
The 17th stakes-winner for Scat Daddy sire son Caravaggio, The Grey Wizard is the best of four winners from unraced Galileo mare Fancy, a daughter of Group III winning Danehill Dancer mare Danehill Music.
