Scenic Shot is the top weighted entry in the 2011 Victoria Gold Cup nominations
The 2011 Victoria Gold Cup has attracted 15 nominations with Scenic Shot the top rated and weighted entry.
Allocated 60kg if connections chose to accept, eight-year-old Scenic Shot is looking to return to form in time for a bid at the 2011 Australian Cup on March 12 after three disappointing runs this year.
Most recently the Perth galloper finished seventh behind Lord Pyrus in the Group 3 Carlyon Cup (1600m) at Caulfield on February 12.
Robert Hickmott has four Victoria Gold Cup early entries with last season’s Group 1 The Metropolitan runner-up Mourayan, Galileo five-year-old Muir, Zabeel four-year-old Vesper yet to race at Group level and Reset gelding Upon coming off a win over 2040m at Moonee Valley all heading towards Saturday’s race.
Other Notable 2011 Victoria Gold Cup Nominees Include:
- Above Average (Lee Freedman) – High Chaparral five-year-old placed at Group level during the spring when second to Precedence in the Group 2 Moonee Valley Gold Cup, most recently ran second in the Sandown Cup (3200m) on November 13
- Laristan (David Hayes) – Lightly-raced four-year-old was well-beaten first-up in the Carlyon Cup but is a stakes winner in Europe before being transferred to Hayes’ Flemington stable last spring
The final field of acceptors for all the Blue Diamond Stakes Day races will be out tomorrow.
Meanwhile the 2011 Blue Diamond Stakes field was released this morning with 14 two-year-olds set to face off in the $1 million feature.
Stay tuned to Races.com.au for all the latest Caulfield race fields, previews and betting tips and for the best horse racing odds make sure you have an account open with premier online bookie Luxbet.
2011 Victoria Gold Cup Nominations
| # | Horse | Trainer | Ballot | Weight (kg) | Hcp. Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | SCENIC SHOT | Daniel Morton | 1 | 60 | 112 |
| 2 | MOURAYAN (IRE) | Robert Hickmott | 2 | 57 | 104 |
| 3 | ABOVE AVERAGE (IRE) | Lee Freedman | 3 | 55.5 | 101 |
| 4 | APPREHEND | Tony Vasil | 4 | 53 | 91 |
| 5 | LARISTAN (FR) | David Hayes | 5 | 53 | 89 |
| 6 | MISS DARCEY | Anthony Cummings | 6 | 53 | 89 |
| 7 | AJHAR (USA) | Lee Freedman | 7 | 53 | 89 |
| 8 | MUIR (GB) | Robert Hickmott | 8 | 53 | 88 |
| 9 | DOWN UNDER BOY | John Symons & Sheila Laxon | 9 | 53 | 86 |
| 10 | THE WOLVERINE (NZ) | Leon Corstens | 10 | 53 | 84 |
| 11 | PORT VELL (NZ) | Colin Little | 11 | 53 | 82 |
| 12 | VESPER | Robert Hickmott | 12 | 53 | 78 |
| 13 | UPON | Robert Hickmott | 13 | 53 | 76 |
| 14 | STATE GRADE | Clinton McDonald | 14 | 53 | 68 |
| 15 | CROSS CONSTANCE | Patrick F Ryan | 15 | 53 | 67 |
Photo courtesy (c) Steve Hart Photographics
