Craig Williams gives Spanish Mission fitness tick for Cup

Champion jockey Craig Williams has quashed any concerns about the fitness of Spanish Mission after jumping on his back at Werribee on Sunday morning ahead of Tuesday’s Melbourne Cup.

The European import was passed fit to run in the Cup after three Racing Victoria vets gave him the tick of approval on Saturday afternoon. He had failed two prior inspections, on Thursday and Friday, after knocking his right foreleg, which resulted in swelling and a possible infection.

Craig Williams worked Spanish Mission at Werribee on Sunday morning.Credit:Getty Images

But the British-trained gelding showed no signs of discomfort as he did two laps around Werribee under the 2019 Melbourne Cup-winning jockey on Sunday morning.

“I was really pleased with the way that he felt. I can’t wait until Tuesday now,” Williams said.

“With all the speculation that’s been over the last 48 hours, I have no concerns at all. He’s a really healthy, happy, fit [horse] and he’s really trained for the Melbourne Cup, and he’s in really good order.

“Obviously we had a really strong criteria for horses to get passed fit to race at acceptance time, and I think it’s a great policy. Tony Noonan had been in regular contact with me for the last 24 hours, on the horse’s situation and I could see why he passed on the way he felt this morning.”

Williams wasn’t there to break records, rather just get a feel for the horse who is considered the main danger to $2.30 favourite Incentivise.

They did two laps around Werribee, the first just a canter and the second under a little bit more steam.

“My morning was only to come down to reconnaissance; my job wasn’t to get the horse fit,” Williams said.

“Andrew Balding and Tony and Tom Noonan who are down here with the horse, they don’t need me to train him for them. For me, it was to get to know his characteristics.

Craig Williams jumps aboard Spanish Mission at Werribee on Sunday.Credit:Getty Images

“He’s a really responsive horse, he’s a lovely horse for a jockey to ride. He’s really kind and soft, and I loved the way that he felt for me in this morning’s little exercise.”

Williams said Spanish Mission had the right form to win Tuesday’s Melbourne Cup.

“His overall profile is excellent and especially when he joined Andrew Balding’s stable, they targeted the horse for this race,” he said.

“He’s got Stradivarius form, and Stradivarius has been the best stayer in the world for the past three seasons.

“His run in the Lonsdale Cup really sealed it. He travelled and looked like he had some good change-up gears about him and he was only just narrowly beaten over 3200 metres – the same distance – by Stradivarius. He’s also a proven traveller, so I thought that ticked another good box.”

Triple Melbourne Cup-winning jockey Glen Boss was also at Werribee on Sunday morning, partnering with northern hemisphere-bred three-year-old Sir Lucan for the first time ahead of Tuesday’s race.

Sir Lucan, a full brother to last year’s Cox Plate winner Sir Dragonet, has joined Gai Waterhouse’s stable and the champion trainer has been on hand most mornings since arriving to Melbourne to keep an eye on the lightly raced European.

“He reminds me a little bit of his brother, obviously a year younger than when I got on Sir Dragonet, but he’s got a very good action, this horse,” Boss said.

Glen Boss and Gai Waterhouse chat about Sir Lucan at Werribee on Sunday.Credit:Getty Images

“He just looks like for mine he’s six to 12 months away from being the proper horse he should be. He’s a bit of a juvenile.

“It looks like, in my opinion, it’s a top-weight year. They pick themselves; last year’s winner [Twilight Payment], Spanish Mission and obviously Incentivise, they’re class runners.

“But if there was one down the bottom [of the weights] that might trouble them, it could be this bloke.”

But Boss said Sir Lucan’s race on Tuesday could go one of two ways.

“He’s either going to get there, not cope on the day and not run well,” Boss said.

“Or if he does cope and do everything right, he’s going to run out of his skin. It’s just going to be one of those situations, I hope it’s the latter.”

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