A group of 18 European horses including Melbourne Cup favourites Mustajeer and Constantinople have entered quarantine in England ahead of the trip to Australia for spring carnival features.
Those horses, 11 owned in Australian interests including six who will join local stables, will spend two weeks in quarantine in Newmarket before flying to Melbourne.
They are scheduled to arrive in Melbourne on September 28 to begin post-export quarantine at Werribee.
Mustajeer, winner of the Ebor Handicap at York at his most recent start, will join the Kris Lees stable while northern hemisphere three-year-old Constantinople joins Lindsay Park.
The two head early Melbourne Cup odds at $15 with the TAB while Mustajeer is among a group of four horses at the top of Caulfield Cup betting.
Danceteria, whose connections have accepted an invitation to contest the $5 million Cox Plate, is among the group in quarantine along with last year’s Melbourne Cup third placegetter Prince Of Arran.
European stayer Torcedor is set to join the Paul Preusker stable in Victoria.
Three Japanese horses – Suzuka Devious, Meiner Fanrong, and Meiner Wunsch – are due to arrive at Werribee on September 24, four days before the first shipment of European horses.
Another three Japanese horses – Caulfield Cup joint favourite Mer De Glace, and Cox Plate invitees Kluger and Lys Gracieux – are scheduled to arrive in Melbourne on October 1 to take the number of horses at Werribee to 24.
Of those 24, 16 will complete their quarantine by October 12, making them eligible to compete from that afternoon while European Caulfield Cup contenders Red Verdon, Raymond Tusk, Raheen House, Gold Mount and Mustajeer, and Japanese trio Mer De Glace, Lys Gracieux, and Kluger will be eligible to compete from October 15.
A second shipment of European horses, primarily targeting the 2019 Melbourne Cup, is due in Melbourne on October 12, with that group expected to include defending Melbourne Cup champion Cross Counter and last year’s runner-up Marmelo.
The list of horses (and their trainers) on the first European shipment who have entered quarantine in Newmarket are:
Danceteria (David Menuisier)
Mirage Dancer* (Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young)
Royal Meeting (Saeed bin Suroor)
Mustajeer* (Kris Lees)
Dream Castle (Saeed bin Suroor)
Red Galileo (Saeed bin Suroor)
Raymond Tusk (Richard Hannon)
Gold Mount (Ian Williams)
Red Verdon (Ed Dunlop)
Raheen House (William Haggas)
Constantinople* (Lindsay Park)
Cape Of Good Hope* (Lindsay Park)
Torcedor* (Paul Preusker)
Haky (John Hammond)
Prince of Arran (Charlie Fellowes)
True Self (Willie Mullins)
Chief Ironside (David Menuisier)
Aktau* (Mike Moroney)
* horses joining Australian stables
