Wednesday, 29 October 2008: The four-legged vacuum Ice Chariot will be lining up for the third consecutive Saturday in the SAAB Quality, not because he needs to qualify for next week's Melbourne Cup but because he needs the run.
Trainer Ron Maund termed the six-year-old as such on his eating ability, especially now he's based in a quarter acre paddock at Corinella, obliviously to French Island across the bay as he has his head in the clover.
After a somewhat luckless effort in the Caulfield Cup when eighth after being shuffled right back Maund expected the gelding to back up and go close in the Moonee Valley Cup.
He placed behind Gallopin, beaten 2.5 lengths, but the trainer was still disappointed in the run and felt the gross gelding had “gotten away”.
“To my dismay after running such a good race in the Caulfield Cup a week earlier he pulled up like a fat puppy,” Maund told Radio 4TAB.
“We've come to the conclusion that he's overdone the country lifestyle on the lush Corinella clover and rye grass.
“He's like a vacuum when he gets on the grass and won't lift his head.”
Maund said it took Ice Chariot an age to recover from his Moonee Valley run and feels he needs another this weekend to be at his top for the Melbourne Cup.
Ice Chariot qualified for the 2006 Melbourne Cup by winning the Queensland Derby but could manage only 22nd behind Delta Blues.
But Maund said typical of the Semipalatinsk breed he has continued to improve with age and is racing in career best form.
This time in he finished third in the Theo Marks Stakes, Shannon Stakes and Craven Plate before his Caulfield Cup eighth then last weekend's placing.
He is fully qualified for the Cup, sitting 17th in order of entry, where he has 53kg.
Track: Dead 4. Irrigation: 3mm overnight; 26mm for week Rainfall: 1.4mm last 24 hours; 9.2mm for week Forecast: Cloudy, chance of brief showers (max 20c) Rail: Out 2 Metres entire. Pentrometer: Inside 4.85 - Outside 4.88 Previous: True Position Entire Circuit (31 Oct 09) Last Year: Out 2 Metres entire.
Updated 8:30am
de Mestre (winner of the first cup) would go on to train three other winners of the Melbourne Cup - Tim Whiffler (1867), Chester (1877) and Calamia (1878).
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