Thought this was an interesting artical re Vinnie Roe and Pugin. Reading between the lines, it would seem the connections are trying to secure a better price about Vinnie. What do you think?

Monday, 16 September 2002:

The latest turn in the Melbourne Cup plans of the giant Godolphin stable confirms its stated desire to win Australia's greatest race.

It also confuses the issue like never before.

Godolphin, which races around 2,000 horses worldwide, has provided the runner-up in two of the past three Cups, each time with a horse that had been given little or no chance.

First it was Central Park in 1999 who ran in place of his talented stablemate Kayf Tara who was scratched in the week before the race.

Central Park started at 50-1 and was nosed out by Rogan Josh.

Last year Give The Slip ran at 30-1 for Godolphin and came within three-quarters of a length of beating Ethereal.

Until last weekend, Godolphin had one certain Melbourne Cup runner, Beekeeper, and one possible, Hatha Anna.

But after seeing the Melbourne Cup favourite Vinnie Roe confirm his position at the head of betting by winning the Irish St Ledger at The Curragh on Saturday, Godolphin stepped in and bought the horse that chased him home.

Godolphin's 11th-hour acquisition is Pugin, a four-year-old son of Darshaan trained until Saturday by John Oxx who ran Enzeli in the Cup in 2000.

Oxx said from Ireland he didn't rate Pugin, who is handicapped on 53.5kg in the Cup, in quite the same class as Enzeli, who carried 57kg into 15th place two years ago.

"Enzeli was the better horse, but he didn't handle the firm ground in Australia at all," Oxx said.

"That would be one of the things Pugin has in his favour, he is quite happy on top of the ground.

"The other thing he has going for him is his natural speed."

Pugin has won three races, two of them over 2000m and the other over 2400m, from his nine starts.

On a very firm track on Saturday he fought on strongly to be beaten 1-1/2 lengths by Vinnie Roe who he will meet 5.5kg better in the Cup.

Beekeeper, another horse Godolphin purchased in the past year with the Melbourne Cup in mind, confirmed his Cup claim only 24 hours earlier, returning from injury to win over 2100m at Doncaster.

The third Godolphin Cup runner is Hatha Anna, a winner at Flemington last spring but a disappointment in three starts in England this season.

Which, on past form, probably makes him the one to look out for on Cup day.

While Godolphin may now have three Melbourne Cup runners, Vinnie Roe's trainer Dermot Weld is set to have two following the encouraging effort at the Curragh on Sunday of Media Puzzle.

Media Puzzle joined Vinnie Rowe in quarantine after finishing third in a 3200m handicap.

Godolphin also confirmed today that Grandera, the winner of the Irish Champion Stakes at Leopardstown on September 7, was almost certain to run in the WS Cox Plate with Frankie Dettori to ride.

Less encouraging, though is the news from Japan that plans to run international star Eishin Preston in the Moonee Valley feature appear to have stalled.

Moonee Valley racing manager Fred Fox said difficulties making quarantine arrangements that would fit in with Eishin Preston's racing program meant the horse that has won two Group One races in Hong Kong in the past year would almost certainly miss the race.