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Lastotchka a forward chance in Melbourne Cup

Mick Price has French-import Lastotchka as good as she can be for Tuesday’s Melbourne Cup.

Trainer : Mick Price.
Trainer : Mick Price. Picture: (Vince Caligiuri/Getty Images)

Mick Price is open minded to the chances of Lastotchka in the Melbourne Cup and recognises the challenge ahead against the likes of Irish hot horse Vauban, Caulfield Cup winner Without A Fight and returning Cup winner Gold Trip.

Having been charged with the care of the French galloper towards Tuesday's 163rd edition of the Group 1 3200-metre feature, he says her race style will be suited by drawing barrier 21, and that the weight scale will have a high percentage of the field putting the forward pressure on the race early on.

"Barrier 21 out a bit there but there are 16 horses that are (carrying) within 50 to 53 kilos so there should be a roll forward to the winning post the first time," Price said.

"Why would you want to be getting back?"

Lastotchka is among that group with 51-kilograms allotted by the handicapper.

There were high hopes on her from her initial sale in 2022 in France for 590,000 euros - just short of AU$1 million.

"Her pattern in France is that she sits in the first three and it is a 3200-metre handicap and she's got no weight," Price added.

"That will be the conversation I have with Craig Williams and one would assume that by the time they get to the back of the course, she's in a good, handy spot."

Already a Melbourne Cup-winning jockey aboard Vow And Declare in 2019, Craig Williams takes the reins on Lastotchka with the 21 gate being familiar territory having started from draw on that career-crowning day as well.

Lastotchka comes to Flemington off a win in the Group 3 Prix Gladiateur (3100m) at Longchamp on September 3.

While Williams has the task of having the five-year-old mare – in southern hemisphere timing – up among the leaders after the first 1000-metres, Price knows he has what it takes to do it.

"Somehow he finds that little 'weasel way' of winning these big races," he said of Williams.

"He rode her here on Tuesday and he'd done a bit on her before and got her exactly right."

The Willie Mullins-trained pair Vauban ($3.60 favourite) and Absurde ($18) also stepped out for a look at Flemington that morning and while his eye was taken by Vauban, Price is readying for Lastotchka ($26) to make her presence felt.

"The work was perfect," Price added.

"And he (Williams) got off her and, quite rightly, said she's spot on but just needs to be good enough.

"I think that is fine and the market reflects that realistically.

"She'll stay and if she's at the fat end of the prizemoney at that end of the race, fantastic."


Racing and Sports



Flemington Tuesday, 07th November 2023

1m7f200y TURF GOOD
AUD $8,410,000

Lexus Melbourne Cup (G1)

AUD $8,410,000
Age: 3yo and up Type: OPEN
1m7f200y TURF GOOD
FP Silk Horse, Age & Sex
Sire & Dam
Jockey
Trainer
SP
WT
1st 3. WITHOUT A FIGHT (IRE) 6yo G
TEOFILO (IRE) - KHOR SHEED (GB)
MARK ZAHRA
A & S FREEDMAN
$8
56.5kg
Sheikh Mohammed Obaid al Maktoum

Sales Information

2nd 6. SOULCOMBE (GB) 4yo G
FRANKEL (GB) - RIBBONS (GB)
JOAO MOREIRA
CHRIS WALLER
$9.5
53.5kg
A Kheir, J A O'Neill, Carty Racing, S A Lewin, V Kheir, T R Maddern, B D Nettlefold, D Edmonds, A K Racing, B A Secatore, Mrs R T Secatore, B J O'Brien, Bromfield Park Pty Ltd, Punt Road End, N A Greenhalgh, Mrs M T Greenhalgh, Sneesby Racing, Sir M Arbib, B G Arbib & C M Budgett

Sales Information

3rd 14. SHERAZ (FR) 6yo G
SEA THE STARS (IRE) - SHEMIYLA (FR)
BEAU MERTENS
CHRIS WALLER
$151
51.5kg
G C Sneesby, Mrs J T Sneesby, N A Greenhalgh, Mrs M T Greenhalgh, I Bruce, P Aspropotamitis, Platinum Dream (S Westwood), Jalana (D Gremmo), G W Aldridge, A T Avramides, Mrs S Avramides, Muzben Racing (B Stewart), M Grech, Kirk Thoroughbred Racing (G P Kirk) & G G's Shout (D Gremmo)
4th 11. ASHRUN (FR) 7yo G
AUTHORIZED (IRE) - ASHANTEE (GER)
KERRIN MCEVOY
CIARON MAHER & DAVID EUSTACE
$26
51.5kg

Sales Information

5th 12. DAQIANSWEET JUNIOR (NZ) 6yo G
SWEET ORANGE (USA) - PAULETTE (NZ)
DANIEL STACKHOUSE
PHILLIP STOKES
$51
51.5kg

Sales Information

6th 22. INTERPRETATION (IRE) 5yo G
GALILEO (IRE) - DALDIYNA (FR)
TEODORE NUGENT
CIARON MAHER & DAVID EUSTACE
$41
50kg

Sales Information

7th 7. ABSURDE (FR) 5yo G
FASTNET ROCK (AUS) - INCROYABLE (USA)
ZAC PURTON
WILLIE MULLINS
$9
53kg

Sales Information

8th 24. TRUE MARVEL (FR) 7yo G
MASKED MARVEL (GB) - ANECDOTIQUE (FR)
BEN THOMPSON
MATTHEW SMITH
$151
50kg
9th 9. VOW AND DECLARE (AUS) 8yo G
DECLARATION OF WAR (USA) - GEBLITZT (AUS)
BILLY EGAN
DANNY O'BRIEN
$31
53kg

Sales Information

10th 17. MILITARY MISSION (IRE) 5yo G
MASTERCRAFTSMAN (IRE) - ATLANTIC ISLE (GER)
RACHEL KING
G WATERHOUSE & A BOTT
$26
51kg

Sales Information

11th 13. OKITA SOUSHI (IRE) 5yo H
GALILEO (IRE) - AMICUS (AUS)
DYLAN GIBBONS
JOSEPH O'BRIEN
$101
51.5kg

Sales Information

12th 20. MORE FELONS (IRE) 4yo G
CHURCHILL (IRE) - PIVOTALIA (IRE)
JAMIE KAH
CHRIS WALLER
$26
50.5kg

Sales Information

13th 15. LASTOTCHKA (FR) 4yo F
MYBOYCHARLIE (IRE) - MUTHLA (FR)
CRAIG WILLIAMS
MICK PRICE & MICHAEL KENT JNR
$26
51kg

Sales Information

14th 5. VAUBAN (FR) 5yo G
GALIWAY (GB) - WALDFEST (GB)
RYAN MOORE
WILLIE MULLINS
$5.5
55kg
15th 21. FUTURE HISTORY (GB) 5yo G
SHOWCASING (GB) - LIKELIHOOD (USA)
HOLLIE DOYLE
CIARON MAHER & DAVID EUSTACE
$18
50kg

Sales Information

16th 4. BREAKUP (JPN) 5yo H
NOVELLIST (IRE) - LITTLE JUN (JPN)
KOHEI MATSUYAMA
TATSUYA YOSHIOKA
$17
55kg
17th 1. GOLD TRIP (FR) 6yo H
OUTSTRIP (GB) - SARVANA (FR)
JAMES MCDONALD
CIARON MAHER & DAVID EUSTACE
$6.5
58.5kg

Sales Information

18th 19. VIRTUOUS CIRCLE (NZ) 4yo H
ALMANZOR (FR) - SHE IS STRYKING (AUS)
CRAIG NEWITT
LIAM HOWLEY
$151
51kg

Sales Information

19th 18. SERPENTINE (IRE) 6yo G
GALILEO (IRE) - REMEMBER WHEN (IRE)
JYE MCNEIL
G WATERHOUSE & A BOTT
$41
51kg
20th 23. KALAPOUR (IRE) 6yo G
WAR COMMAND (USA) - KALADENA (IRE)
ZAC LLOYD
KRIS LEES
$41
50kg
21st 2. ALENQUER (FR) 5yo G
ADLERFLUG (GER) - WILD BLOSSOM (GER)
DAMIEN OLIVER
MICHAEL MORONEY
$21
56.5kg

Sales Information

22nd 16. MAGICAL LAGOON (IRE) 4yo F
GALILEO (IRE) - NIGHT LAGOON (GER)
MARK DU PLESSIS
CHRIS WALLER
$101
51kg

Sales Information

FF 8. RIGHT YOU ARE (AUS) 7yo G
SO YOU THINK (NZ) - LEICA DING (AUS)
JOHN ALLEN
CIARON MAHER & DAVID EUSTACE
$26
53kg

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