Advertisement
Twilight Payment will have to carry 6lb more than when he won the 2020 Melbourne Cup. Andy Brownbill
race that stops a nation

O'Brien team hope that Twilight Payment can defy top weight to defend Melbourne Cup

Joseph O’Brien will be on course at Flemington for the Melbourne Cup on Tuesday.

JOSEPH O’BRIEN’S TEAM are confident that Twilight Payment can carry top weight to glory and defend his title in “The Race That Stops A Nation”, the Melbourne Cup, on Tuesday.

O’Brien could not be on course to see Twilight Payment give him a second Cup win last year, following Rekindling in 2017, but a change to quarantine rules in Victoria in recent days means he will be on course to see his stable star’s defence of the title.

Mark Power has been managing Twilight Payment’s preparations at Werribee and he is delighted O’Brien will be able to be at Flemington this time.

He said: “Joseph is on the way and it’s great to have him over here. Just the way things have worked out with hotel quarantine enabled him to come over so it will be brilliant to see him after missing out last year.

Twilight Payment must shoulder top weight of 9st 2lb in the two-mile Group One – 6lb more than last year – but given his European form, including finishing second in the Irish St Leger last time out, the team were not surprised for his hefty burden.

Power said: “We’ve known that from last year after carrying 55.5 (kgs) last year and the way he’s run all summer at home that he was always going to get a boost in the weights.

“We think and we hope he can carry it anyway.

“It’s all gone really smoothly since he arrived here. We are really looking forward to it.”

Local runner Incentivise is a short price to follow up his Caulfield Cup win. He arrives unbeaten in his last nine starts, including three Group Ones since September in the Makybe Diva and Turnbull Stakes, plus the Caulfield Cup.

He is as short as 6-4 with some bookmakers as he moves up to two miles, but trainer Peter Moody is full of confidence in his charge.

“I’m not nervous, and once again, for the fact the horse has made it easy for me; he’s done everything asked of him,” he told his podcast, Moody On The Mic.

“I just hope he gets his chance, which his racing pattern tends to give him that chance.

“I believe if he holds that form, and what I’ve seen at home tells me he will hold his form, he should just about win the race.”

Andrew Balding’s Spanish Mission is another expected to make a bold bid for glory  despite a late scare with a swollen leg that required a veterinary check on Saturday.

The five-year-old, who finished third in the Ascot Gold Cup and ran Stradivarius to a head in the Lonsdale Cup in August, has not had a prep race in Australia, but is reported to be in fine form.

Other leading hopes include the ex-Richard Hannon-trained Floating Artist, top-class mare Verry Elleegant and Sir Lucan, who will be having his first start for Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott having previously been trained by Aidan O’Brien.

BTL 5

Your Voice
Readers Comments
This is YOUR comments community. Stay civil, stay constructive, stay on topic. Please familiarise yourself with our comments policy here before taking part.
Leave a Comment
    Submit a report
    Please help us understand how this comment violates our community guidelines.
    Thank you for the feedback
    Your feedback has been sent to our team for review.

    Leave a commentcancel