Latrobe will not compete in this year’s Melbourne Cup after owner Lloyd Williams confirmed they would turn their attentions to the Seppelt Mackinnon Stakes on November 10.
As such, last year’s winning trainer Joseph O’Brien has been denied the opportunity to defend his crown after winning in 2017 with Rekindling, with the Irish derby winner now looking further down the line.
There were high hopes for Latrobe, who has drawn a number of comparisons to Rekindling which had many believing that back-to-back Melbourne Cup successes for O’Brien were possible. However, Williams claims the 3,200m comes just too soon for him.
Williams is a six-time winner of the Melbourne Cup, more than any other trainer in history and we are used to seeing him prioritise this race. That said, he still has a fantastic chance of making it seven victories with the favourite Yucatan Itre.
Mark Power said: "The decision came after Nick and Lloyd [Williams] discussed it with Joseph as it's what's in the best interests of the horse. They decided the Mackinnon would be a better target at this stage of his career than going for the Melbourne Cup.
"As previously mentioned, Yucatan Itre remains the odds-on favourite to win the Melbourne Cup at 9/2, while other contenders include Magic Circle at 9/1 and Best Solution at 12/1.