3 minute read
The final shipment of 14 international spring carnival raiders arrived in Melbourne on Saturday.
A flight carrying five Godolphin horses trained by Charlie Appleby including defending Melbourne Cup champion Cross Counter arrived several hours in advance of the plane carrying the remaining carnival entries.
Appleby's team also includes high-class stayer Ispolini, D'Bai, Walton Street and Setting Sail.
The second flight included Hughie Morrison's star stayer Marmelo, who was runner-up behind Cross Counter in last year's Melbourne Cup and the Joseph O'Brien-trained Ascot Gold Cup placegetter Master Of Reality, who will be ridden in the Melbourne Cup by Frankie Dettori.
Master Of Reality was accompanied by stablemates Latrobe, Twilight Payment and Downdraft, owned by the Australia's OTI Racing.
Australian Racing Hall of Fame inductee Lloyd Williams owns Latrobe and recently acquired Twilight Payment.
The other arrivals included Aadan O'Brien's Royal Ascot winner Magic Wand and Cox Plate entry Hunting Horn.
The final passenger Southern France will be prepared by Ciaron Maher and David Eustace for his spring campaign.
The 14 horses will now spend two weeks completing their mandatory post-arrival quarantine at the International Horse Centre at Werribee in time to race if connections desire on Cox Plate day at Moonee Valley October 26.
Their arrival takes the tally of internationals to 38 since Japanese stayer Suzuka Devious arrived on September 24.
