European jumps horse Max Dynamite is one of three possible spring contenders down under for English owner Rich Ricci with the veteran still being considered for a Melbourne Cup 2017 bid.
Max Dynamite (white silks) has arrived in Australia ahead of his 2017 Melbourne Cup campaign. Photo: Ultimate Racing Photos
The Great Journey gelding travelled to Victoria in 2015 and finished brave runner-up behind Darren Weir’s $101 upset winner Prince Of Penzace in the ‘race that stops a nation’.
Racing as an eight-year-old in Australia, Max Dynamite has had just four races since his trip to Flemington for the famous Race 7 but could be set for a second shot at the Group 1 $6.2 million Emirates Melbourne Cup (3200m) this November.
Prepared by Irish trainer William Mullins, Max Dynamite is currently listed as a $51 outsider in futures Melbourne Cup odds at Ladbrokes.com.au.
The veteran is also nominated for the Group 1 $3 million BMW Caulfield Cup (2400m) run on October 21 and is at even longer odds of $67 for the mile and a half classic.
Max Dynamite kept the Melbourne Cup dream alive late last month winning a two-mile race at Killarney – his first victory since the 2015 Group 2 Lonsdale Cup in York.
Ricci is considering a Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival raid not only with Max Dynamite in 2017, but also with stablemates Riven Light and Thomas Hobson.
“Riven Light is in the Cox Plate and Caulfield Cup, while Thomas Hobson and Max Dynamite are both in the Caulfield Cup and Melbourne Cup,” Ricci’s racing manager Joe Chambers told Sporting Life this week.
“The Caulfield Cup is on October 21 and there’s also Champions Day at Ascot on the same day to consider for those horses, but no decision will be made in the short term.
“We have two or three weeks before they go into quarantine so we have time on our side in relation to making a decision.”
The Group 1 $3 million Ladbrokes Cox Plate (2040m) runs at Moonee Valley a week after the Caulfield Cup and looks to be in the hands of dual defending champion Winx once again in 2017.
After winning her 19th straight race in the Chelmsford Stakes last weekend, Chris Waller’s superstar mare is the $1.50 favourite in futures Cox Plate odds.
Riven Light is only considered a $101 roughie by the Aussie bookmakers to beat Winx, the Raven’s gelding last seen winning a flat race against just three rivals on August 31 at Tipperary.
“Riven Light won over nine furlongs [1800m] at Tipperary the other day and while he won as a 1/5 shot should do, I did still think it was a good performance,” Chambers said.
“We’ll wait and see and let the trainer do the training and make our decisions nearer the time.”
Thomas Hobson meanwhile is also a dual jumps and flat racing galloper, the seven-year-old paying $101 in Caulfield and Melbourne Cup markets.
He contested the Group 2 Lonsdale Cup (3269m) on August 25 running five lengths back seventh to Montaly, while his latest victory was over 4014m at Ascot by a runaway six lengths back in June.
To check out all the latest spring racing odds including the Melbourne Cup 2017 betting markets, head to Ladbrokes.com.au now.
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