News

John Singleton wants a fairer go for Australian stayers to make the Melbourne Cup field

3rd Nov 2011

Daily Telegraph - Ray Thomas - Thursday, 3 November 2011

JOHN Singleton has slammed the Melbourne Cup qualifying conditions, believing it favours European stayers over Australian horses.

Dunaden gave France its second successive Melbourne Cup on Tuesday, with the first seven placegetters coming from the northern hemisphere.

A record 11 overseas-trained gallopers contested this year's Cup and this number is expected to increase in coming years with a relaxation of quarantine rules, the massive $6 million race prizemoney, and the dominance of European stayers acting as an irresistible lure.

Singleton, one of the nation's leading owner-breeders, believes it has become too easy for overseas horses to get into the Melbourne Cup.

"I'm not being xenophobic or insular and maybe people think I'm a dinosaur but I don't get it," Singleton said. "No one can explain to me satisfactorily how these European horses are rated so highly compared to our horses.

"I had Ironstein entered for the Cup and he had won a Group 3 race and two Listed races, is fully qualified but doesn't get a start. Then there was the Pommy horse (Saptapadi) that had won a maiden only and gets into the field - you are kidding."

Melbourne Cup TAB betting turnover was down nearly 15 per cent on Tuesday's race and while some of that money has gone to rival wagering operators, Singleton reckons Australian punters were baffled by the huge international presence.

"The TAB turnover is down because no one has heard of the horses," he said.

Singleton's solution is not to cap the number of overseas runners but to provide more opportunities for local stayers to qualify for the Cup.

"Races like the Sydney Cup, The Metropolitan, Brisbane Cup, Wyong Cup, Gosford Cup, Newcastle Cup, if you win one of them it should get you into the Melbourne Cup."