Racing: Cavalryman faces late vet check

Godolphin's Melbourne Cup contender Cavalryman is in doubt for today's race with a leg injury.

He was found to have swelling to his near-fore fetlock last night (NZT) and x-rays have been sent to owner Sheikh Mohammed's vets overseas.

They will study the x-rays, as will Australian vets, before a decision is made as to whether he takes his place in the field.

If he comes out Godolphin will be left with Willing Foe as its lone runner in the Cup it has been trying to win since 1998.

"We've tried for a long time," trainer Saeed Bin Suroor said.

"We've finished second three times."

If Cavalryman is withdrawn, Craig Williams will again be denied the chance to complete the grand slam of Australian racing.

Williams needs only the Melbourne Cup to complete the set and join seven other riders to have won the Melbourne Cup, Caulfield Cup, Cox Plate and Golden Slipper.

In 2011, a suspension cost Williams the winning ride on Dunaden in what he describes as the holy grail of world racing.

In another twist, James McDonald was given the choice to switch from Cavalryman to Willing Foe when British jockey James Doyle was suspended.

Meanwhile, a horse soon to join the Kris Lees stable is one the trainer believes is a big threat to his charge Lucia Valentina in the Cup. German stayer Protectionist will join the Lees camp after the Cup and, like Lucia Valentina, he is among the leading contenders.

The Andreas Wohler-trained Protectionist, part-owned by Australian Bloodstock, caught the eye with his fourth in the Herbert Power Stakes under a big weight in his Australian debut. He shares the third line of betting at $7.50 with Lexus Stakes winner Signoff.

Lucia Valentina is second favourite at $6.50 behind Caulfield Cup winner Admire Rakti ($5) who beat Lucia Valentina by less than a length at Caulfield.

"I think the market has got it pretty right," Lees said. "You've got to say Admire Rakti's win in the Caulfield Cup had a touch of dominance about it. I think Signoff was very good on Saturday.

"I thought Protectionist's lead-up run was a perfect lead-up run."

Lees is convinced dual group one winner Lucia Valentina has come on since the Caulfield Cup and believes he can't have her any better for the 3200m race in which she will start from an inside draw in gate three.

"Her preparation has gone off without a hitch so it's now just whether she's strong enough to run out the two miles."

His gut feeling is she can.

"The barrier now gives her the opportunity to go to sleep and expose her when it suits," he said.

Italian jockey Andrea Atzeni has had a group one ride on Derby Day at Flemington and has taken in the atmosphere of a city parade.

Now it's time for the Melbourne Cup.

The 23-year-old, who is based in England, will ride British mare My Ambivalent in the Cup. He can't wait, after a build-up he describes as unlike anything he has seen before.

"It's my first time in Melbourne and I've never seen anything like it," Atzeni said.

"For us, Royal Ascot is massive. And we've got Goodwood. We've got some big meetings and obviously we get good crowds, but I've never seen anything like here.

"To get in a car and go down the main street, there was so many people and a great experience."

My Ambivalent was scratched from the Caulfield Cup because of a stone bruise and goes into the Melbourne Cup first-up since late June.

"The filly is in great form. She's moving really well. I think she'll run a big race," Atzeni said.