Luca Cumani's campaigner can cause Cup shock

Live outsider: Basaltico works ahead of the Melbourne Cup

13 April 2012

Connections of Basaltico believe the five-year-old could be the forgotten horse in tomorrow's Emirates Melbourne Cup.

Luca Cumani's campaigner has not won this year but showed a decent level of form in England before finishing an unlucky seventh in the Geelong Cup.

Cumani's Cup hopes hit a snag when the frustrating Cima De Triomphe failed to make the final cut for the two-mile Group 1 Flemington feature.

The Newmarket trainer has a good record in the race, though, with Purple Moon and Bauer both finishing runner-up in the last two renewals.

Sara Cumani, the Newmarket handler's wife, said: "Things haven't gone to plan so far in Australia, but Bauer went into the race under the radar last year and hopefully Basaltico will do it this year.

"We are relying on Basaltico to hopefully go one better than we have done in the past couple of years.

"The race at Geelong didn't go as planned because he was much further back than intended. But then he made a run around the outside coming into the straight and finished up working well to the line."

Midlands handler Ian Williams is also confident of a good show from his Stockholm Cup runner-up Munsef. He said: Munsef is 110 per cent, I wouldn't swap him for any other runner. He is tough and durable and, for us, he is a horse that suits this race."

Godolphin solely go into the race with Crime Scene after Kirklees was scratched last week. Kerrin McEvoy's mount was last seen finishing sixth in the Geelong Cup, one place better than Basaltico.

Trainer Saeed bin Suroor said: "Crime Scene did his last half-speed work on Saturday wearing blinkers with Kerrin McEvoy up and pleased me greatly.

"He looks very well, happy and in good form. He has never raced over the distance but he has every chance of staying. Crime Scene has less weight than in the Geelong Cup, which will help him.

"I am very happy with his draw of 11 - the best stall for winners.

"We are going into the race with no pressure, which is a nice position to be in for us.

"I have spoken to Kerrin and asked him to have Crime Scene in a nice position in the race so as to give the horse every chance."

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