Six-year-old Danehill mare Profound Beauty, trained by premier Irish trainer Dermot Weld, has had an impressive start to her 2010 Melbourne Cup campaign with a classy win in Ireland.
Weld, the only European trainer to win the Melbourne Cup having won with Vintage Crop (1993) and Media Puzzle (2002), will aim for a third ‘Loving Trophy’ with his profoundly talented beauty in this year’s 150th running of the Melbourne Cup on November 2.
The highly rated Profound Beauty finished a gallant fifth to Viewed in the 2008 Melbourne Cup before being scratched from last year’s event a month before after a long and tiring season.
On Sunday she started her season with a first-up win at Leopardstown in a Listed race over 2800m, beating odds-on favourite Age Of Aquarius by a half-length in her first start after a long spell following her fourth place finish to Alandi in the Irish St Leger in September last year.
Weld has hinted at runs in both the Curragh Cup and the Irish St Leger again this year for Profound Beauty on her way to the 2010 Melbourne Cup.
There is sure to be a strong international flavour in this year’s Melbourne Cup with a number of top international horses expected to travel to Flemington for the first Tuesday in November. Entries for the Melbourne Cup close on August 3.
Profound Beauty is currently a $26 chance for the $6 million Melbourne Cup in the pre-nomination betting market at SportingBet, while the Bart Cummings-trained Faint Perfume remains the $17 favourite.
Faint Perfume arrives back in Cummings’ care at his Sydney stable next Monday after having been spelled at Think Big Stud. The three-year-old Shamardal filly is raced by Dato Tan Chin Nam, who is the most successful owner in the Melbourne Cup having won four times with Think Big (1974 & 1975), Saintly (1996) and Viewed (2008).
Dato Tan also part-owns Cummings’ Redoute’s Choice filly Dariana who is the hot $3.50 favourite for this Saturday’s $400,000 Group 1 Queensland Oaks (2400m) at Eagle Farm through IASbet.
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