MELBOURNE - The man entrusted with delivering Hong Kong a historic Melbourne Cup win is afraid his plans will be brought undone by a horse he describes as "a phenomenal creature".
Saul McHugh, the travelling foreman preparing Mr Medici for next week's race, watched in awe as So You Think
won his second Cox Plate last Saturday.
Such was So You Think's brilliance, McHugh says he is afraid Mr Medici may be left to fight it out for second prizemoney in the Melbourne Cup next Tuesday.
"He is a phenomenal creature," McHugh said of the entire.
"I know Bart Cummings doesn't tend to travel his horses much but in my view, at the minute, he is the best 10 furlong horse in training on the planet.
"That horse could go anywhere."
McHugh said he was clinging to the hope that the 4-year-old son of High Chaparral was suspect over the Melbourne Cup distance. "I am just hoping and praying he doesn't get two miles because if he does that's the Melbourne Cup winner for the foreseeable future.
"He is a savage horse. Absolutely savage."
Luca Cumani, who arrived on Sunday to supervise his Cup charges Manighar, Drunken Sailor and Bauer, also sung the praises of So You Think.
"He was awesome on Saturday," Cumani said. "Really good."
Cumani trained Bauer when he finished second in a photo to the Cummings-trained Viewed in 2008 and also prepared another second placegetter Purple Moon (2007).
He is convinced Cummings will run So You Think next Tuesday.
"Bart will run him," Cumani said. "Nothing matters more to Bart than the Cups."
- AAP
