The two horses who split the line in this year’s Australian Cup are set to resume hostilities on Saturday at a Flemington meeting overflowing with major race aspirants.
Manighar held the barest advantage over Southern Speed when they last met, but the Adelaide mare appears better placed to turn the tables this time.
Manighar winning the Catanach's Jeweller's Carlyon Cup at Caulfield - photo by Race Horse Photos Australia
A second-up winner over 1400m at Morphettville last Saturday week, Southern Speed is bound to have a fitness edge over the former English galloper.
The Makybe Diva also marks the return to the track from injury of the Mark Kavanagh-trained December Draw and could be the first start of the latest preparation of 2007 Melbourne Cup winner Efficient.
A decision is expected later in the week on whether Efficient will join stablemates Mourayan, Seville and Midas Touch in the Makybe Diva, but the old warrior showed he still had great enthusiasm for racing in a track gallop at Caulfield on Saturday.
The nine-year-old relished the racetrack atmosphere, fighting his rider through their slower paces and only relaxing when the speed increased in a gallop in which he chased stablemate Mourayan to the line.
Last spring’s Turnbull Stakes winner, December Draw injured himself when favourite and unplaced in the Caulfield Cup.
One of the more intriguing first-up runners at the meeting will be the Bart Cummings-trained German import Illo who runs in the Listed Sofitel Handicap (1400m) .
Illo has come back bigger and stronger than in his first Australian preparation last spring and is likely to be aimed at races short of the distances of the major Cups with the Toorak Handicap (1600m) a possible goal.
