Pale Mimosa has entered quarantine in Ireland but trainer Dermot Weld says a decision on whether she makes the trip for the Melbourne Cup has not been finalised.
The two-time Melbourne Cup-winning trainer said the mare’s connections still had time to decide whether she embarked on the journey to Melbourne for the famous 3200m handicap, run at Flemington on the first Tuesday in November.
“She went into quarantine today but no decision has been made yet whether she goes or not,” Weld told Melbourne radio station RSN.
Pale Mimosa has to complete two weeks of quarantine in Ireland, during which time connections will weigh up whether she actually makes the trip.
Weld said they would make a final call after considering how the mare was training, the likely make-up of the Melbourne Cup field, and the long-range weather forecast as he would like some rain.
Pale Mimosa won the Group Two Lonsdale Cup at York two starts ago before a fifth in the Irish St Leger won by Brown Panther.
Weld has won the Melbourne Cup twice with Vintage Crop in 1993 and Media Puzzle in 2002.
Pale Mimosa is at $21 to give him a third.
The Aidan O’Brien-trained Cox Plate hope Adelaide also entered quarantine overnight in Ireland at O’Brien’s training base.
Six other horses are scheduled to go into quarantine in England at Newmarket on Thursday to be part of the second European shipment for the Melbourne spring carnival.
They are due to arrive in Melbourne on October 11.
The horses in that batch are Irish sprinter Slade Power and Melbourne Cup entries Willing Foe, Cavalryman, Royal Diamond, Gatewood and Au Revoir.
The first shipment from Europe containing 19 horses will arrive in Melbourne on Saturday.
They will join the four Japanese horses already at the Werribee Quarantine Centre including Caulfield and Melbourne Cup hopes Admire Rakti and Bande.
