Breeding & Racing Magazine

Shocking Begins 5-Months Campaign To 2nd Melb Cup

Reigning Melbourne Cup champion Shocking (Street Cry-Maria Di Castiglia, by Danehill) commenced his title defence this week with a return to the training track. The Mark Kavanagh-trained 4YO entire has begun a 5-month campaign aimed at becoming just the 6th horse to win multiple cups in the 150th anniversary year of Australia's most famous race. Kavanagh confirmed: "Shocking arrived at the pre-trainers at Euroa on Monday & will spend 4-weeks there with a number of my spring horses, before coming to our stables here (at Flemington). He'll then have a good grounding here from the end of June to get him ready for the spring. He's a colt & a year older, so he'll need the work." While the $6 million Gr1 Melbourne Cup (3200m on November 2) remains Shocking's primary target, his specific campaign has not been confirmed & Kavanagh noted: "With a horse like him, we'll keep our options open."