Darren Weir’s last start Emirates Stakes winner Tosen Stardom is one of the headline Australian Cup 2018 nominations taken by Racing Victoria this week.

Dual Group 1 winning Japanese import Tosen Stardom is one of three Darren Weir-trained 2018 Australian Cup Nominations this autumn. Photo: Ultimate Racing Photos.

One of two elite level autumn races contested at Flemington on March 10 for Super Saturday, this season’s Group 1 $1.5 million Australian Cup (2000m) drew 53 early entries.

Heading the pre-field Australian Cup odds at Ladbrokes.com.au is gun Japanese import Tosen Stardom ($6) for Weir who won the weight-for-age event last year with Humidor (2017).

A seven-year-old son of Deep Impact, Tosen Stardom is a dual elite level winner down under having taken out the Group 1 Toorak Handicap (1600m) and Group 1 Emirates Stakes (2000m) in Melbourne over the spring.

Weir has a total of three Australian Cup nominees this Melbourne Festival of Racing also entering his Caulfield Stakes winning French import Gailo Chop and $2.4 million Humidor who pay $11 and $9 respectively in futures betting.

Kiwi expat Humidor defends his Australian Cup title having saluted in the race last year as a four-year-old, the son of Teofilo also winning Flemington’s Group 1 Makybe Diva Stakes (1600m) in the spring.

Humidor held his own when second to super star mare Winx in last year’s Ladbrokes Cox Plate, but was found out last start when stepped up to the two miles for a 19^th to Rekindling in the Group 1 Melbourne Cup (3200m).

Australian Cup history is against Humidor this Super Saturday however with the last back-to-back winner being the great Vo Rogue (1989-1990).

The Lloyd Williams-owned Melbourne Cup winning Irish raider Rekindling is also among the Australian Cup nominations, the lightly-raced champion now prepared at Mt. Macedon in Victoria by Liam Howley.

A four-year-old son of High Chaparral, Rekindling debuted down under in the ‘Race That Stops A Nation’ defeating the fellow Irish-trained Johannes Vermeer and Max Dynamite.

Melbourne Cup runner-up Johannes Vermeer has also remained in Australia with Howley and Team Williams who have the Australian Cup in sight for the ultra-consistent entire.

Prior to his eye-catching second in the world’s richest handicap, Johannes Vermeer also finished second and third respectively in the Caulfield Stakes (2000m) and Caulfield Cup (2400m) last October.

The David Hayes-led Lindsay Park operation meanwhile have a stranglehold on the Australian Cup entries numbers-wise with 13 nominees.

Hayes chases his fourth win in the race, his latest victory being with Spillway in 2015.

There are also 14 three-year-olds nominated for this season’s Australian Cup, the last of that age group to succeed being Super Cool (2013).

Among the standout youngsters in the mix are Tavistock colt Salsamor last seen running third to the filly Aloisia in the Group 2 Moonee Valley Vase and the fellow Trent Busuttin & Natalie Young-trained VRC Derby runner-up Sully.

The Australian Cup 2018 first acceptances close on February 20, 2018 and early betting is now open at Ladbrokes.com.au.

2018 Australian Cup Nominations

Flemington Racecourse – 10/03/2018