The latter part of the spring carnival has received a substantial boost with the decision to run 2010 Melbourne Cup winner Americain in the Group Two Zipping Classic at Sandown on Saturday week.
The horse will then be prepared for another tilt at the Hong Kong Vase (2400m) at Sha Tin next month.
Part-owner Colleen Bamford said the horse had pulled up in perfect order after his luckless Melbourne Cup fourth placing and trainer Alain de Royer Dupre believes he is still to reach the peak of his current preparation.
She said de Royer Dupre would remain as Americain’s trainer at least until he runs in Hong Kong and assistant trainer Stephanie Nigge, who supervised his Cup preparation this year and when he won the race in 2010, would remain with him in Melbourne.
“This is Alain’s suggestion that he run at Sandown and we are very happy with it,” she said.
Bamford and her husband Kevin and Gerry Ryan and his wife Val have raced Americain since purchasing the horse before the 2010 Cup.
The initial plan is for Americain to remain at the quarantine stables at Werribee racecourse where he has been for the past month and to be trained on the Werribee track.
The Zipping Classic (2400m), formerly the Sandown Cup, is run on Saturday week.
After he won last year’s Melbourne Cup Americain remained at Werribee before being shipped to Hong Kong where he ran third in the Vase, an internationally classified Group One race at the rich international meeting.
He finished third in the race behind the Godolphin runner Mastery and the local galloper Mighty High who raced in Melbourne this spring.
Americain’s future after the Hong Kong campaign has yet to be finalised but it is possible he will return to Australia for a final preparation before going to stud next season.
Also en-route to Hong Kong is the Melbourne Cup second placegetter Red Cadeaux who is also likely to be set for the Vase.
His trainer Ed Dunlop also plans to run his champion filly Snow Fairy in Hong Kong following two starts in Japan this month, including the Japan Cup.
Snow Fairy won last year’s Hong Kong Gold Cup and is expected to defend her title in 2011.
AAP TURF
