Australia: Skyman heavy favorite in Yarra Valley Cup

Australia horsemen occasionally fret about the growing influence of European-breds in the famous Melbourne Cup each November.

Horses bred in Great Britain, Germany, or Ireland have won eight of the last 10 runnings of the Melbourne Cup, which was worth $5.55 million in 2020.

The same concerns have not been expressed about European influences on the $96,957 Yarra Valley Cup, which will be run at the small venue in wine country northeast of Melbourne on Sunday.

The three leading contenders are the British-bred Skyman and the Irish-breds Hang Man and Dabiyr. The Yarra Cup is run at about 1 1/4 miles, an ideal distance for Skyman, who was even-money in early betting on Friday.

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Trained by Chris Waller, Skyman began his career in England in 2018 and raced there through 2019. Since being sent to Australia, Skyman has won 3 of 6 starts, including a handicap at a mile at Flemington on Feb. 21. Last August, Skyman won a handicap at Flemington at 1 1/4 miles.

Hang Man was third in the Victoria Cup, a listed stakes at 1 1/4 miles at Caulfield on Feb. 20, and finished in a dead heat for first in a handicap at 1 1/8 miles there on Jan. 30.

Skyman and Hang Man run from off the pace, while Dabiyr is capable of racing closer to the front. Trained by Waller, Dabiyr is winless in six starts, since a win in the listed Torney Cup at 1 9/16 miles at Moonee Valley Racecourse in February 2020.

Dabiyr has not raced since a 13th in a field of 15 in the Group 3 Bart Cummings Stakes at 1 9/16 miles at Flemington on Oct. 3, a prep for the Melbourne Cup.

First post time at Yarra Valley is 9 p.m. Eastern, or 6 p.m. Pacific, on Saturday. Wagering is available through DRFBets.com.