International horses headed for Spring Carnival enter quarantine
An update on which international gallopers may feature in Melbourne's Spring Carnival races emerged on Saturday, with seven horses commencing quarantine in the UK and Ireland.
The Irish quarantine facility welcomed Joseph O'Brien's quartet: Kizlyar, Omni Man, Small Fry, and Starford, along with Roger Varian's charger Enfjaar. Simultaneously, the Harry Charlton-trained Wine Dark Sea and Ciaron Maher's contender Point Of Law were isolated in England.
These seven are entered for both the prestigious $6 million Caulfield Cup (2400m) on October 17 and the $10 million Melbourne Cup, scheduled for 17 days later. All have met Racing Victoria's stringent veterinary requirements thus far.
"The first seven international horses targeting the 2026 Spring Racing Carnival yesterday entered pre-export quarantine in the UK and Ireland where they will remain for two weeks prior to travelling to Melbourne," RV head of racing Paul Bloodworth announced. "All seven hold nominations for the Caulfield and Melbourne Cups and have satisfied RV's pre-travel veterinary protocols, passing a compulsory scan of their distal limbs and completing two physical veterinary examinations so far - they must undergo a final examination in PEQ."
By being in the inaugural shipment, set to land in Melbourne on the month's final weekend, these horses are positioned to be eligible for the Caulfield Cup.
Leading the international charge in the Caulfield Cup betting are Group 3 Glorious Stakes winner Enfjaar and Group 3 Geoffrey Freer winner Wine Dark Sea. They are closely followed by O'Brien's Omni Man and Starford, and Point Of Law, who has transitioned to Maher's stable from John and Thady Gosden's yard.
Small Fry's potential start in the Caulfield Cup remains undecided, as O'Brien and owners OTI are also contemplating a run in the Group 3 Geelong Cup (2400m). Varian, meanwhile, has not confirmed a Melbourne Cup start for Enfjaar, with the Group 1 Champions Stakes (2000m) at Flemington being another possibility.
The weekend also brought news regarding the Melbourne Cup, with Highwayman gaining traction in betting circles following his victory in the Group 1 English St Leger (2921m) at Doncaster on Saturday night, Australian time.
More high-profile entries are due to be declared on Sunday night, featuring Trustyourinstinct in the Group 1 Irish St Leger (2816m) against seasoned stayers Scandinavia and Jan Brueghel. Explore the latest betting markets for the race at your preferred online bookmakers.
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