Cima De Triomphe - Basaltico - Damien Oliver

Thoroughbred News NZ


Hall of Fame jockey Damien Oliver will ride his BMW Caulfield Cup mount Cima De Triomphe for the first time in a gallop at Sandown next week.

Charlie Henson, travelling foreman for trainer Luca Cumani, said today (Friday) it had not yet been decided which day Oliver would go to Sandown but it would possibly be Tuesday or Wednesday.

Henson said the work schedule for the highly-rated Cima De Triomphe and stablemate Basaltico was still undecided but Cima De Triomphe was likely to have only one fast gallop before the Caulfield Cup on 17 October.

“He did a good piece of work before he left Newmarket (England) and with the 36 hour trip to Melbourne he won’t need to do a lot before the Cup,’’ Henson said.

Cima De Triomphe has not raced since his fourth placing to Gio Ponti in the Arlington Million (2012m) in Chicago on 8 August.

Henson said the five-year-old did not have much luck in the Arlington Million and the winner was now rated probably the best turf horse in the US.

Although Cima De Triomphe has not yet won beyond 2200 metres, Henson believes the handsome grey will not be worried by the 2400 metres of the Caulfield Cup.

“I think he has to finish in the first eight in the Caulfield Cup to qualify under the distance clause for the Melbourne Cup,’’ he said.

Comparing Cima De Triomphe with stablemate Bauer, who was nosed out of last year’s Melbourne Cup, Henson said he was already a high class galloper while Bauer had arrived in Melbourne as a ‘’progressive handicapper.’’

As Bauer did last year, Henson said Basaltico would try and qualify for the Melbourne Cup by winning the Geelong Cup (2400m) on 21 October.

Cima De Triomphe and Basaltico had a light canter at Sandown today as did the Godolphin pair Kirklees and Crime Scene.

Kirklees and Crime Scene walked a lap of the course proper and then moved into a canter from near the 1000 metres to the winning post.

Travelling foreman Tommy Strang said they would probably do two canters tomorrow (Saturday) morning as they step up their work towards the Caulfield Cup in which Kirklees has 56kgs while Crime Scene will be kept for the Geelong Cup.

Whether Frankie Dettori rides Kirklees in the Caulfield Cup will depend on what commitments he has for Godolphin at Champions’ Day at Newmarket which is run the same day.