Ten Spring hopefuls in quarantine

Fri 10 Sep

The international raid on this year's spring carnival is building with 10 horses now in quarantine at Newmarket in England.

They will complete two weeks pre-export quarantine before departing for Melbourne where they are scheduled to arrive on September 25.

Each will complete a three-week post-arrival quarantine period at the Werribee International Horse Centre before being permitted to compete from Caulfield Cup day, October 16.

Seven of the quarantined horses are entered for the Caulfield Cup and/or Melbourne Cup, while the remaining three are part of leviathan owner Lloyd Williams' growing band of European imports.

Luca Cumani, trainer of Melbourne Cup placegetters Purple Moon (2007) and Bauer (2008), prepares three of the Cups contenders in Manighar, Drunken Sailor and Becqu Adoree.

Joining them is the Allan Swinbank-trained Stanstill who, like Bauer and Manighar, is owned by the Australian-based OTI Racing headed by Simon O'Donnell and Terry Henderson.

French stayers Americain, for trainer Alain de Royer Dupre, and Laristan, who will join the David Hayes stable after being acquired by stable clients, are also in quarantine.

The remaining four are all Williams-acquired imports including the lightly-raced Akzar who, unlike the aforementioned horses, is nominated for only the Melbourne Cup.

Recent Group One Epsom Derby runner-up At First Sight, a 2011 Cups candidate, and three-year-olds September Morn and Amber Grey round out the quartet of horses that will join Williams' private trainer Robert Hickmott upon completion of their quarantine.

In other international news, leading Melbourne Cup first acceptors Profound Beauty (Dermot Weld), Sans Frontieres (Jeremy Noseda) and Tactic (John Dunlop) will clash in the Group One Irish St Leger (2800m) at The Curragh in Ireland at 12.45am (AEST) on Sunday.