Golden Sword Full-brother 10/1 For Melbourne Cup

The Melbourne Cup, to be run at Flemington racecourse tomorrow morning (Tuesday), has to date eluded record-breaking trainer Aidan O’Brien.

However, KZN Breeders will be hoping his son Joseph wins it this year with Rekindling, who is a full-brother to the Summerhill-based stallion Golden Sword.

The three-year-old Rekindling is currently a 10/1 shot and will be ridden by Australian jockey Corey Brown, who won the big race on Shocking in 2009.

High Chaparral colt Rekindling won second time out over a mile as a two-year-old and became an Epsom Derby hopeful when winning first time out as a three-year-old in a Group 3 over a mile and two furlongs at Leopardstown.

He then ran a fair fourth in the Derby pointer, the Dante, over a mile and two-and-a-half furlongs at York. 

However, in the Derby he was never in it and trailed in 18,25 lengths back in 16th place.

However, back on an easier, flatter course at the Curragh he won a Group 2 a month later over a mile and six furlongs. He stayed on strongly so should relish the two miles of the Melbourne Cup.

Subsequently, he has finished second in a Group 3 over a mile and six furlongs at the Curragh and he then stayed on well for a two length fourth in the Group 1 St. Leger at Doncaster on September 16.

The latter race and hIs earlier win at Leopardstown proved he can handle left-handed tracks like Flemington.

He has a plum draw of four and must have a big shout.

Golden Sword won the Group 3 Chester Vase over a mile and four-and-half-furlongs for Aidan O’Brien and then finished fifth in the Epsom Derby and second in the Irish Derby.

In his first season with MIke de Kock in Dubai he finished third in the Group 2 Dubai City Of Gold over 2410m and in his second season won a handicap and a Conditions race, both over 2000m on the All Weather track. He thus qualified for the Group 1 Dubai World Cup, where he finished a well beaten eleventh.  

Golden Sword, not surprisingly, has produced staying types and included among them is the LIsted Oaks Trial winner Belle Rose, who also finished fourth in the Grade 1 SA Classic over 1800m.

 -David Thiselton/goldcircle.co.za