46 horses remain in the running to receive a start in the $6 million race, including Southern Speed.

Southern Speed produced an eye catching run in the 2012 Cox Plate last weekend, in which she finished sixth.

The five-year-old will now head to the Melbourne Cup for the first time after a mixed spring campaign.

Southern Speed won the Listed Penny Edition Stakes and Group 2 Makybe Diva Stakes earlier in her preparation before posting a disappointing 15^th in the Group 1 Turnbull Stakes.

The Southern Image mare declined the opportunity to claim back-to-back Caulfield Cup wins by bypassing the race in favour of her 2012 Cox Plate run.

The classy mare will now look to claim her biggest race win when she lines up for the 3,200 metre Melbourne Cup.

Having never run over the 3,200 metre distance before, it will be a huge test for Southern Speed.

She has won seven of her 25 race starts and has earned more than $2.77 million in prize money during her horse racing career.

Southern Speed will be ridden by jockey Nash Rawiller in the 2012 Melbourne Cup.

Co-trainer Leon MacDonald is convinced the mare has what it takes to win her first 2012 Melbourne Cup run.

“Last week I was against running her in the Melbourne Cup but the way she finished the race off yesterday has changed my mind,” Macdonald said.

“She seems to be racing a bit dour and her final sectionals were very impressive.

“Nash will ride her in the Cup.”

Americain, Dunaden, Ethipoia and Lights Of Heaven are also included in the 2012 Melbourne Cup second acceptances.

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2012 Melbourne Cup Second Acceptances

The field has been reduced for 151 to 67 after acceptances were taken today for the $6 million race.

Included in the 2012 Melbourne Cup first acceptances is Green Moon, who won his most recent start at Flemington on Saturday.

The Montjeu entire won the Group 1 Turnbull Stakes by almost half a length in front of Seville and December Draw, in a race that is well known as a solid Cups form guide each year.

Green Moon has won six of his 18 race starts and has earned more than $1 million in prize money during his horse racing career.

Also included in the 2012 Melbourne Cup first acceptances is Manighar.

Manighar placed second in his first-up start this spring by a nose behind Southern Speed in the Group 2 Makybe Diva Stakes, before finished sixth in the Group 1 Underwood Stakes last run.

The Linamix gelding is also nominated for the Group 1 Caulfield Stakes, $3 million Cox Plate and $2.5 million Caulfield Cup this spring racing carnival.

Manighar has won 10 of his 31 race starts and has earned more than $3.3 million in prize money during his horse racing career.

Mourayan is also on track for a Melbourne Cup 2012 run this November after winning the Group 3 Craven Plate at Royal Randwick racecourse last weekend.

The seven-year-old has won four of his 32 race starts and has earned more than $1 million in prize money.

The Alhaarth entire was forced to miss last year’s Melbourne Cup due to injury, however, appears to be in top form going into this year’s event.

Niwot, Kelinni, Glencadam Gold and Dunaden are also included in the 2012 Melbourne Cup first acceptances.

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2012 Melbourne Cup First Acceptances

The talented five-year-old won his last start in the Group 3 Craven Plate on Saturday while being only 90 per cent fit and was high up in the Cox Plate 2011 betting markets until Waller’s shock announcement.

My Kingdom Of Fife had also been nominated for the 2011 Caulfield Cup and 2011 Melbourne Cup.

“He’s pulled up OK from Saturday, but not 100 percent and I’m not prepared to take the risk and push on towards the Carnival with him,” Waller said yesterday.

“We knew the writing was on the wall after Saturday, but we chose not to believe that he’d pulled up too bad and patched him and took him to the beach for a couple of days and that masked everything.

“But yesterday morning I wasn’t 100 percent happy and then we got him scanned and x-rayed late yesterday afternoon and only got the results back now to say that’s not 100 percent and needs to be kept.

“If we look after the horse now, I wouldn’t say (he’ll be back for) the autumn, but we’ll definitely be there next spring.”

The trainer admitted that My Kingdom Of Fife would most likely not make another appearance until spring next year.

“I don’t like to put a Band-Aid on things, I think he is in grave doubt for the autumn,” Waller said.

”I consider him a young horse, he’ll be back next year, don’t worry about that.”

The Kingmambo gelding has won four of his six starts since arriving in Australia from England earlier this year.

”It turns around pretty quickly in this game,” Waller said.

”Thank God for good owners and staff that keep these horses going.”

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Included in the first round of nominations is last year’s winner Americain and runner-up Maluckyday.

Also included is jumps superstar Black And Bent and last year’s VRC Oaks winner Brazilian Pulse.

Despite failing to finish last year’s race, Gai Waterhouse has nominated 2010 Caulfield Cup winner Descarado for the 2011 Melbourne Cup.

Descarado was unable to run the entire 3,200 metre distance of the Melbourne Cup and jockey Nash Rawiller was forced to unsaddle the horse just metres away from the finishing post.

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2011 Melbourne Cup Nominations

Americain will carry 58 kilograms in the $3 million Caulfield Cup 2011 after he was penalised 3.5 kilograms by Racing Victoria’s chief handicapper Greg Carpenter for his 2010 Melbourne Cup win.

“Americain won the Melbourne Cup with 54.5kg and rises to top weight of 58kg in the Caulfield Cup in recognition of being the second highest rated stayer in the world in 2011,” Mr Carpenter said.

“Viewed was the most recent Melbourne Cup winner to return the following year and win the Caulfield in 2009.

“He did so with 57kg having been penalised 4kg for his Melbourne Cup victory.”

Carpenter chose to only allocate a top weight of 58 kilograms in order to ensure that top horses were not weighted out of the field.

“The nature of the race has changed and how I handicap them has changed,” Mr Carpenter said.

“These races are Group 1 handicap races and we want the best stayers in the world to compete in them.

“In the last 30-40 years only two horses have been able to carry more than 57kg and win the Melbourne Cup and only Northerly carried 58kg to win the Caulfield Cup.

“No matter how good a horse is, to carry big weights against quality opposition with less weight, it does take an exceptional performance to still win the race.”

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The French horse will compete in the Prix Kergolay this weekend, which he also won last year.

Part-owner Colleen Bamford said that Americain’s horse racing form had flourished since winning the Listed Prix De Reux on August 2, 2011.

“We got an email yesterday with some photos and he had his last good gallop (on Wednesday morning) before the race on Sunday and he looked amazing,” Ms Bamford said.

“We’d had a little bit of concern with him earlier in the year, he just didn’t quite look right, but now he looks just like he did last year.

“He’s really bloomed and we’re expecting that he’ll run really well on Sunday.

“He won the Prix Kergorlay last year before coming to Australia so we’re hoping that he can do that again this year.”

While his Australian spring program has not yet been decided, Americain is currently also nominated 2011 Caulfield Cup and 2011 Cox Plate earlier in the carnival.

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The trainer’s best hopes lie with Descarado, Herculian, Prince, Once Were Wild and Tullamore.

“All my group one horses will go straight to Melbourne, most of them won’t race here and the horses I’m making into that, the Reuben Percivals and those horses, will be heading for the Metropolitan [in Sydney],” Waterhouse said.

“I’ll spend quite a bit of time down there. I’ll take about 30 horses to Melbourne.”

Waterhouse believes that it is crucial for her Melbourne Cup hopes to be in Melbourne prior to the race to give them the best chance of gaining entry.

“That’s what you are training them for, they might as well be clocking up the miles on that leg as to this leg up here,” she said.

If I’m going to have a horse in the [Melbourne] Cup- (and) I think about five horses will be nominated for the Cup- they’ve got to be down there.”

Once Were Wild, who finished midfield in last year’s $6 million Melbourne Cup, finished fourth in a barrier trail last Friday at Warwick Farm.

“She’ll trial again here and then I’ll probably kick her off in Melbourne,” Waterhouse said.

“She’s already a Group 1 and Group 2 winner, I’ll concentrate on winning the Cup for (owner John Singleton) with her.”

The John Singleton-owned More Joyous is currently preparing for her spring carnival campaign.

Waterhouse is yet to decide on a first-up race for the talented mare.

“She’s been back about three weeks and she’ll trial here (in Sydney) and probably head to Melbourne at the end of the carnival.”

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Snowden has a stellar team of three-year-old horses who are waiting ready to contest many of the carnival’s top races.

”We concentrate on two- and three-year-olds, and that gives us all a great buzz,” he said.

“The season we’ve just had was a great testament to the hard work everyone puts in.”

The trainer said his Melbourne talent will be made up of predominately sprinters, as staying horses are sent overseas.

”We identify early the above-average horses with staying ability that are to go overseas, and that’s how it works,” Snowden said.

Snowden said he does not anticipate to ever have a Melbourne or Caulfield Cup horse because of this system.

“That’s one (slight downside) but there are thousands of upsides,” Snowden said.

”It’s a bit of a quirk of the job, I suppose, but I love what I do and feel very lucky to be able to do it.”

Blue Diamond Stakes winner Sepoy will also feature in this year’s spring carnival, but Snowden said he will not contest the 2011 Caulfield Guineas.

”He’s a sprinter, and that’s what he does best,” Snowden said.

”That’s not to say that he might not run a mile but we’ll be happy to wait until next autumn to find that out.

”He’ll start off on the 14th and might have about five runs for the campaign.

“His main aim is the Coolmore on (Victoria) Derby day but he might go through the (Group 1) Manikato Stakes as well.”

Another of Snowdon’s stable stars, Helmet, is likely to have his first run back in the $1 million Golden Rose in Sydney on September 10.

”He’ll kick off with two runs in Sydney, maybe taking in the Golden Rose, and then come to Melbourne for the Guineas Prelude and then guineas,” Snowden said.

And Beaded, who was almost retired following this year’s Brisbane Winter racing Carnival, will spend her spring and autumn campaigns avoiding the super mare Black Caviar.

”She’ll have a few races in the spring and the same in the autumn and then probably finish off in Brisbane,” Snowden said.

“But we’ll be selective with her. We’ll want to dodge Black Caviar.”
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The trainer is hoping to pick up a newly introduced $2 million bonus from TAB Sportsbet for any horse that can win both races.

“It’s a very attractive option,” Kent said.

“You have a six-day back-up, but a lot of cup horses run off a seven-day back-up.

“The good horses will be in the Caulfield Stakes (Yalumba Stakes) and those trying to qualify will be in the Winning Edge (Herbert Power).”

Kent is yet to plan Absolutely’s lead-up runs to the 2011 Cranbourne Cup.

“I will sit down and work out her program next week,” Kent said.

“Ideally, I’d like to go into the Caulfield Cup with four runs.

“I would look at the JRA Trophy (Moonee Valley) on Grand Final eve.

“She’s a bit under the radar.

“Apart from her first start (second in a Cranbourne maiden), she’s run in stakes class every start and the only time she missed a place I thought she was poorly ridden.”

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