Melbourne Cup hopes enter quarantine

The second group of international horses being set for the Melbourne spring carnival has entered pre-export quarantine in centres in England and Ireland.

The first shipment will arrive in Melbourne on Saturday with five Melbourne Cup entries among the six horses preparing for the next shipment.

They are Big Orange, Bondi Beach, Heartbreak City, Secret Number and Beautiful Romance along with the Peter Chapple Hyam-trained Arod.

Those six are scheduled to arrive in Melbourne on October 15, two days before Japanese Melbourne Cup contender Curren Mirotic and his stablemate Curren Glass Jaw who is expected to contest a lesser race.

The two Japanese horses are scheduled to start pre-export quarantine on Sunday.

The first international contenders from Europe will complete two more weeks quarantine at Werribee before being able to compete.

There are 15 horses due to arrive on Saturday, including returning Australian sprinter Holler and five Charlie Appleby-trained Godolphin-owned horses including Scottish.

Cox Plate invitee Vadamos, the Willie Mullins-trained Irish St Leger winner Wicklow Brave, Aidan O’Brien-trained Sir Issac Newton and Andreas Wohler-trained Articus are among the first consignment.