New Zealand stud master and owner Luigi Muollo didn’t hesitate to pay the $2000 first acceptance fee for the Melbourne Cup for Medatsu (NZ) (Staphanos), who has the distinction of being the only three-year-old among the 72 horses left in contention for the race.
Muollo said he wasn’t being fanciful but cautious in paying up for his Chris Waller-trained gelding, who won a Kembla Grange Class 1 over 2000m at his Australian debut on September 23.
“He’d have to win the Victoria Derby without too much pressure to even consider a Melbourne Cup start but he’s a stayer with great potential and that’s why he is in the Melbourne Cup so that the dream lives,” Muollo said.
“Once he gets to the 2500m of the VRC Derby he’ll be at his best, so he’s better off still being in it than out of it at this stage.
“He had always shown potential even over a shorter distance as a younger horse. We knew he was a Derby horse even though he had been placed at 1200m at Stakes level in New Zealand.”
The most recent Southern Hemisphere-bred three-year-old to run in the Melbourne Cup was Arena in 1998.
Medatsu had four starts in New Zealand, with placings at his final three runs there before being transferred to Waller.
“We saw his ability and sent him over to Australia with staying races in mind. He stepped up to 2000 metres for the time at Kembla Grange and he ran his last 600 metres in 33.97 seconds,” he said.
“He will only get better with more ground and he can handle a firm track or a heavy track.”
Muollo said Medatsu will have his next start in the Gloaming Stakes (1800m) at Rosehill on October 14.
“He’s coming back in distance. A lot will be determined after that as he’ll be better with more distance,” he said.
Medatsu is from the first crop of Muollo’s son of Deep Impact, Staphanos, who stands at his stud in Waikato, Novara Park.
Muollo predicted Staphanos will be a sensational sire of stayers and his first crop will be to the fore in Derby and Oaks races this season.
Medatsu is $17 for the Victoria Derby, with Emma-Lee and David Browne’s recent debut winner, three-year-old filly Basilinna (NZ), $13 for the VRC Oaks.
Staphanos has already sire a Group One winner in New Zealand, with filly Pignan (NZ) winning the NZ Sires’ Produce.
Muollo’s foundation stallion was the ill-fated but successful sire of stayers Jakkalberry. He also stands for Sweynesse, the sire of Hong Kong sprinting star Lucky Sweynesse (NZ).
