Race that stops a nation

All four of the stakes winners on the Thursday card at Saratoga exited their respective races in good order according to their conditioners. The Grey Wizard (Ire) (Caravaggio) took home the GII Belmont Gold Cup S. with a timely surge at the wire, which earned the 5-year-old the Golden Ticket for the G1 Melbourne Cup at Flemington Nov. 5. Trainer Graham Motion said, "He looks really good, this morning. I'm very happy with him. He scoped clean and he looks really well." Motion said he will speak with [owner] Aron...

It is very clear how important the Melbourne Cup is within Australia. Observers at Tattersalls last week were left in no doubt of that. A large proportion of the most expensive lots were bought to head Down Under, with the Melbourne Cup repeatedly mentioned as the ultimate target. It is now, though, a major race both within Australasia and internationally, its global appeal having increased dramatically 30 years ago in the 3 minutes 23.43 seconds which it took Vintage Crop (Ire) to take the prize on the first Tuesday in...