French pair Dunaden and Americain, winners of the past two Melbourne Cups, are among a group of horses to enter quarantine at Newmarket in England on Thursday.
The first contingent of 16 European spring carnival contenders will spend two weeks in pre-export quarantine and complete another two weeks at Werribee on arrival.
Dual Cup-winning trainer Dermot Weld’s 2012 contender Galileo’s Choice will quarantine at Weld’s Irish base for the next fortnight before joining the UK-based horses for the trip to Australia.
The contingent is due to fly into Melbourne on September 29 with Cup favourite Mount Athos one of four Luca Cumani-trained horses in the group.
Joining him will be Melbourne-based OTI Racing’s pair Quest For Peace and Ibicenco, who are entered for both the Caulfield and Melbourne Cups, and Cox Plate contender Afsare.
Simon O’Donnell and Terry Henderson’s OTI Racing also shares in the ownership of two other Cups contenders entering quarantine, the John Gosden-trained Gatewood and French stayer Prairie Star who officially joined the stable of Melbourne trainer Danny O’Brien on Thursday.
Gatewood will be part of the Chris Waller stable after his Cups campaign.
Americain’s Alain de Royer Dupre-trained stablemate Shahwardi is also in the group.
Two other French stayers, the Andre Fabre-trained Prix Kergorlay runner-up Brigantin and Tac de Boistron, who has been acquired by Cranbourne trainer Mick Kent, are other Cups nominees entering quarantine as is Australian-owned Jakkalberry who will be UK-based Italian trainer Marco Botti’s first visitor.
Set to round out the contingent at Newmarket are a trio of horses that will join Australian trainers – Saghann (Anthony Freedman), Why Not (David Hayes) and Energia Elegante (John Sadler).
Last year’s Melbourne Cup runner-up Red Cadeaux is being reserved for the second shipment which is due into Melbourne on October 20, Caulfield Cup day.
