SA owner buys share in Melbourne Cup runner
South African racing fans will be keeping an eye on Sky Bet Ebor winner Mustajeer as local owner Braam van Huyssteen has managed to get a share in the seven-year-old gelding.
SA INTEREST. Partners of Legal Eagle have bought a share in Mustajeer who will be running in the Melbourne Cup next Tuesday. Picture: Racing Post
There will be South African interest in this year’s Melbourne Cup which will be run at Flemington Racecourse on Tuesday 5 November. It is called “the race that stops a nation” as Australia shuts down for the running of the race. In fact, in the state of Victoria where the race is run, the day is officially a public holiday.
But this year South African racing fans will be keeping an eye on Sky Bet Ebor winner Mustajeer as local owner Braam van Huyssteen has managed to get a share in the seven-year-old gelding.
“My partner in Legal Eagle, William Henderson, resides in Brisbane. He managed to buy us shares in both Mustajeer and Raheen House via Australian Bloodstock, prior to them both running in the Ebor during the York Festival,” explained Van Huyssteen who has been in Australia for the last month awaiting the running of the big race.
“This is very exciting for two of the Legal Eagle owners,” he concluded. Mustajeer did run in the Caulfi eld Cup on 19 October and finished sixth, beaten just 1.80 lengths. Interestingly, Constantinople, who is 6-1 favourite for the Melbourne Cup, was just 0.40 lengths ahead of Mustajeer who is quoted at 16-1.
Raheen House is currently quoted at 66-1 for the 3200m race. They will have a top jockey in Damien Oliver, who will be bidding to make Melbourne Cup history when seeking a record-equalling fourth victory and feels the more conventional track at Flemington will play to the strengths of Mustajeer.
Oliver will bid to emulate the achievements of former jockeys Bobby Lewis and Harry White aboard the Australian Blood- stock-owned Mustajeer. He was delighted with the Caulfi eld Cup run which was his first start for trainer Kris Lees. Oliver, 47, said: “I’m feeling reasonably confident and he’ll be much better suited to Flemington than Caulfield.
He’s a well-performed European horse and the Ebor is a race that is a proven formula to go on and run well in the Melbourne Cup.
“It would be amazing to equal the record and a huge thrill. It would be a historic achievement and something I would be really proud of.”
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