Small changes to bring the best out of Soulcombe in Melbourne Cup
Champion trainer Chris Waller has spent the past year aiming Soulcombe at the Melbourne Cup and is confident the quirky stayer will be on his best behaviour at Flemington on Tuesday.
The Frankel five-year-old was backed into Melbourne Cup favouritism after demolishing the Queens Cup field on the final day of last year’s Flemington carnival in his Australian debut.
He still holds a high place in the betting despite some misgivings about his barrier manners.
He had been slow out of the gates a number of times before Waller saw his Caulfield Cup chances disappear when Soulcombe missed the start by five lengths.
It has led to Waller tinkering with Soulcombe’s gear and pre-race routine ahead of Tuesday.
“He is quirky in some ways, but straightforward in others,” Waller said. “We know he will stay the two miles, but we want to make sure he gives himself the best chance, which he didn’t do at Caulfield.
“You just look at it and find ways to help him. You usually put blinkers on but in this case not having them will help.”
There is a deal of planning that has gone into getting to the Melbourne Cup and Waller has felt for a while Soulcombe doesn’t need blinkers, even though he has performed well with them on.
It was his track work in the mornings that suggested a change was worthwhile.
“We just left the blinkers on him on race day because we didn’t want to change anything, but I don’t think he needs them,” Waller said. “He works very well without them, and it’s a small change that might help him.
“I’m very comfortable that it is the right decision after talking to my riders in the morning.
“We have got here with him running in the races we have wanted, and up until the Caulfield Cup, I would say he was going exactly the way I wanted.
“But I feel this a small change that will make a big difference.”
Soulcombe had won the Heatherlie Handicap to start the spring before charging home late for fourth in the Underwood Stakes and third in the Turnbull Stakes, which indicated he should have been ready to peak in the Caulfield Cup.
Waller also felt he might have been too relaxed before the Caulfield Cup, so the other change on Tuesday will be that jockey Joao Moreira lets Soulcombe stretch his legs on the way to the barriers.
“He has been going out with a pony and I think he just needs that little bit of motivation to have him sharp,” Waller said. “If you look at the Caulfield Cup, other than the start he was very competitive, and he got a check on the home turn, which didn’t help.
“He was very strong late, and we have been preparing him for one race.
