A delay in the Australian Federal Government approving Japan’s quarantine protocols means that quality Japanese runners are likely to miss out on a berth in this year’s 150^th Melbourne Cup for the fourth consecutive year.

Last month the Katsumi Yoshida-owned Japanese stayer Jaguar Mail was Keen for a 2010 Melbourne Cup Campaign, looking to travel down under for the world’s richest handicap race on the first Tuesday of November.

Plans for Jaguar Mail have hit a brick wall, however, as Australia’s Federal Minister for Agriculture Tony Burke has said that the quarantine procedures produced for approval by Japan would take up to a month to assess.

The delay has seen connections of Jaguar Mail consider abandoning Melbourne Cup hopes, as they and other Japanese owners and trainers needed to know whether the Japanese quarantine facilities were approved by the end of May.

The talented Jaguar Mail, raced by the same owner who ran the quinella in the 2006 Melbourne Cup with the Japanese duo Delta Blues and Pop Rock, will race in the Group 1 Takarazuka Kinen (2200m) on June 27 at Hanshin before moving on to an international campaign in either England or Australia.

If the Japanese facilities aren’t approved soon, the chance of having a runner from Japan in the $6 million Melbourne Cup this year looks slim.

While the countdown is on for the 150^th anniversary of the Melbourne Cup, the best racing action in the country this month is taking place in Queensland at the Brisbane Winter Racing Carnival.

This Saturday the feature race is the $400,000 Group 1 Queensland Oaks (2400m) at Eagle Farm. Check out the odds at [iasbet] today!