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International Updates; Joao Moreira; Glen Colless; Admire Rakti; Pakal; Rebel Dane; Spilllway

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES

The Pascal Bary-trained Smoking Sun will not travel to Melbourne for next month’s WS Cox Plate at Moonee Valley.

Smoking Sun, owned by the Niarchos family, finished second in a G3 event over 2000m at Maisons-Laffitte on Friday but his connections have declined to take up a Cox Plate invitation.

Melbourne Cup entry Hillstar will also not make the trip despite winning the G3 Legacy Cup (2200m) at Newbury on Saturday that guaranteed him a start at Flemington.

The five-year-old’s trainer Sir Michael Stoute said the G1 Canadian International at Woodbine next month would be a likely target for Hillstar.

A decision on whether the Dermot Weld-trained Pale Mimosa heads to Melbourne will be made in the next 48 hours but indications are the mare is unlikely.

Meanwhile there are reports the Cox Plate is still being considered for the David Simcock-trained Trade Storm, winer of last week’s G1 Woodbine Mile in Canada.

Simcock said owner Sheikh Fahad was yet to decide whether Trade Storm goes to America for the Breeders’ Cup Mile or to Australia.

MOREIRA IN CUP MIX

Champion Brazilian jockey Joao Moreira could be called on to ride Naturalism Stakes winner Gris Caro in the Caulfield Cup.

Trainer Jake Stephens revealed Hong Kong-based Moreira is on the short list of lightweight jockeys who can ride Gris Caro at 52kg in the Caulfield Cup on October 18.

Stephens needs a new rider to replace Ben Melham after the French import guaranteed himself a Cup start with his win in Saturday’s Naturalism Stakes

Melham rode Gris Caro a half kilo over at 54.5kg on Saturday. The import has 50kg in the Caulfield Cup but weights are expected to be raised 2kg to ensure a 58kg topweight.

Gris Caro is part owned by Melbourne Racing Club chairman Mike Symons and he is certain to be in favour of booking a drawcard like Moreira to ride in his club’s biggest race.

The emergence of Gris Caro as a Cup runner is also another achievement for Jake Stephens. The South Australian trainer burst from obscurity with his former topliner Alcopop, second in the 2012 Caulfield Cup among his notable Group performances.

Melham will keep the ride when Gris Caro has his final lead-up in the Caulfield Stakes a week before the Caulfield Cup.

GLEN COLLESS INJURIES

Top Brisbane rider Glen Colless is to undergo surgery after fracturing a cheekbone, wrist and nose in an incident at Doomben on Saturday.

The 47-year-old Colless was thrown from a mount while leaving the mounting yard. The horse then trampled over the jockey.

Colless lost 1½ toes from his left foot in a race accident in 2009 and had only resumed riding in June after recovering from a fractured tailbone.

JAPAN PAIR SETTLE IN

Japan’s Melbourne Cup entries Admire Rakti and Bande have settled into their quarantine at Werribee following their arrival in Melbourne on Saturday.

Admire Rakti’s trainer Tomoyuki Umeda made the trip from Japan with the Melbourne Cup topweight and reported no concerns after the stayer was walked in the quarantine compound on Sunday.

“There’s no problems. He’s very good, he doesn’t look a tired horse,” Umeda said though an interpreter.

Bande is under the care of Takahide Ando with his trainer Yoshito Yahgi due to arrive in Melbourne next weekend.

“We had a good trip. He’s eating and drinking,” Ando said.

Both horses exercised on the Werribee track for the first time on Monday.

PAKAL INJURED

The Mick Price-trained Pakal has suffered a tendon injury and will miss the remainder of the spring carnival.

The import has sustained a minor tendon injury that will keep him sidelined until the autumn.

REBEL BOOKING

Craig Williams will ride Sydney sprinter Rebel Dane in the star packed G1 Moir Stakes at Moonee Valley on Friday night.

Rebel Dane is scheduled to work at Warwick Farm on Tuesday before trainer Gary Portelli sends him to Melbourne.

Craig Newitt will ride Lankan Rupee in a special gallop at Moonee Valley to prepare him for the Moir Stakes.

SPILLWAY FOR SYDNEY?

Trainers David Hayes and Tom Dabernig favour a switch to Sydney for Spillway after he failed to qualify for a Caulfield Cup start in the Naturalism Stakes.

Spillway now needs to win his next start in a Caulfield Cup qualifying race to secure a start on October 18.

While the G1 Turnbull Stakes is on offer at Flemington on October 4, the stable has Stipulate heading to that race and sees the G1 ATC Metropolitan at Randwick on the same day as an easier option for Spillway after his luckless seventh in the Naturalism.

Spillway sits at 37 on the Caulfield Cup order of entry and needs to earn a penalty by winning the Metropolitan to be assured of a start.

Spillway has 54kg in the $400,000 Metropolitan (2400m).

“His next start is a must-win race and it’s not a big deal going to Sydney,” said Hayes, noting that Spillway recorded his first Australian win at Randwick in the autumn.

Hayes and Dabernig also have a top WS Cox Plate chance with Crackerjack King after his big effort for third behind Foreteller in the Underwood Stakes on Saturday.

He is likely to run in the Caulfield Stakes on October 11 as his Cox Plate lead-up.