Team Captain makes up for Melbourne Cup disappointment

Trainer Matt Cumani’s disappointment at missing out on having a Melbourne Cup starter has been offset with the win of Team Captain at Flemington.

Cumani was set to start Future Score in Tuesday’s Melbourne Cup, but the gelding was withdrawn on veterinary advice with lameness.

Future Score was one of two runners under a fitness cloud and showing signs of lameness following an inspection of all Cup runners on Monday.

Delphi was passed fit on Tuesday morning to take his place.

Cumani felt Future Score was fit to take his place but accepted the Racing Victoria vets decision to scratch the gelding.

While disappointed that Future Score was not at Flemington on Tuesday, Cumani was confident Team Captain would be his winner for the afternoon in the Macca’s Run (2800m).

Under Blaike McDougall, Team Captain ($7) raced to a 3-¼ length win from Accountability ($5) with Good Idea ($16) a half-length away third.

Team Captain was having his second run for Cumani having scored in the Hamilton Cup (2200m) at his debut for the stable.

“I think there’s a couple of thousand people in this horse and you can’t fail with a horse like him, and I think he’s going to get better and better,” Cumani said.

“It was a bit of a frustrating morning, but I always thought that this might be my winner for the day and it’s fantastic to see him go so well.

“He’s from the family of Dylan Thomas, out-and-out stayers and we saw the way he finished off today, he finished off beautifully, but I think you could even push him forward a bit more, do a little bit more with him and he’d win by further.

“He’s the sort of horse, dare I say it, maybe 12 months’ time he might be back here on the same day.”