Francis Of Assisi firms into 2017 Melbourne Cup favouritism
WE can only speculate what would have happened in the 2016 Melbourne Cup for Queen Elizabeth winner Francis Of Assisi, but the classy gelding will be back this time next year for a tilt at the 2017 Melbourne Cup.
The seven-year-old was a drifter to $4.80 at Sportsbet in the market for Saturday’s Group 3 Queen Elizabeth Stakes, but it destroyed its rivals by 10 lengths and added to the long list of international winners during this Melbourne spring carnival.
It came to Australia as primarily a training partner for the likes of Qewy, Oceanographer and Scottish, but after winning the Bendigo Cup on by three lengths, trainer Charlie Appleby said it has taken on a new image in the stable.
“He was leading all the work down here. He led all the main work before his run in the Bendigo Cup, led Scottish, led Qewy, led Oceanographer,” Appleby said.
“Going into the Bendigo we thought he was a horse with a love shot, he galloped out better than we expected. This horse, you could just see he was thriving.
“When you’re doing the sort of work he does at home and having those decent horses looming outside of you every morning, once he got his own head in front and won his own race at Bendigo, he thought he was King Kong.”
Francis Of Assisi is now the $15 favourite at Sportsbet.com.au for the 2017 Melbourne Cup, but Appleby wasn’t dwelling on what could have been had he lined it up last Tuesday.
“He was down here to compete in those races. He’s gone and done what he’s done and we couldn’t be more pleased,” he added.
Visiting jockey William Buick gave the seven-year-old a nice run behind pacesetter Tom Melbourne which was heavily backed prior to that race, but it quickly punctured at the top of the straight and Francis Of Assisi powered away.
“It’s great to be back,” Buick said. “The team have done a fantastic job down here, Charlie and everybody.
“He absolutely won very easy, I kept him up to his work, quite a strong head-wind into the straight, but he quickened the whole way.
“He’s got a lot of class.”
Vengeur Masque continued its solid campaign with a second placed finish and Tom Melbourne held on resolutely for third in front of De Little Engine.