Williams secures Cup ride

Craig Williams has picked up the ride on the Chris Waller-trained Youngstar (High Chaparral {Ire}) in the G1 Melbourne Cup on Tuesday week.

Williams confirmed on Twitter that Youngstar, the G1 Queensland Oaks winner, would be his ride as he attempts to capture his first-ever win in the famous race.

Kerrin McEvoy rode Youngstar when she finished seventh on the G1 Caulfield Cup at her most recent start but has elected to ride Cross Counter (GB) (Teofilo {Ire}) in the Flemington two-miler.

Connections moved quickly to book Williams, who has won the Cox Plate and Caulfield Cup, but has been luckless in the Melbourne Cup.

Youngstar is assured of her place in the Melbourne Cup, 17th in the order of entry and will carry 51.5kg.

King Power Racing Owner Dies After Tragic Crash

Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha, the owner behind the fast-growing King Power Racing string in Europe, has died after a helicopter crash on Saturday evening.

Srivaddhanaprabha, 60, the CEO of Thai duty free shopping company King Power International Group, is also the owner of Leicester City Football Club. His helicopter left the club’s ground following Saturday’s match but shortly after take-off witnesses saw the helicopter start to spin before crashing in the car park just outside the ground and bursting into flames.

King Power Racing’s significant contribution to British racing first became apparent at the Goffs London Sale of 2017, where, through bloodstock agent Alastair Donald, the owner bought six horses for just over £2 million.

In Britain this season, King Power Racing has had 56 individual runners, 32 of which have won 41 races between them. Bye Bye Hong Kong (USA) (Street Sense {USA}), who had been set to run in Sunday’s G1 Criterium International at Chantilly, was declared a non-runner as a mark of respect.

Freedman returns to Sydney

Former Randwick trainer Michael Freedman has announced he’s leaving Hong Kong and will return to Sydney. He has applied to train in partnership with Ed O'Rourke at Randwick.

He has trained 17 winners in the past two seasons in Hong Kong but has elected to return home due to family reasons.

"Anna and I have decided to return to Australia to be closer to our children,” Freedman said in a statement.

“While we have enjoyed the challenges of training in Hong Kong, we feel it is in the best interests of our family to return home. I am grateful to the Hong Kong Jockey Club for the opportunity.” =

“I am really looking forward to settling back in Sydney where the racing is in a fantastic period of growth,” he said. “I am in the process of exploring opportunities for the next stage of my career.”

Humidor's spring campaign over

Humidor (NZ) (Teofilo {Ire}) has been sent to the paddock after scans revealed he had damaged a suspensory ligament when running third in Saturday's G1 Cox Plate.

Trainer Darren Weir confirmed, the 6-year-old would miss the G1 Seppelt Mackinnon S. on the final day of the Flemington carnival, while he may also struggle to return for the autumn.

"Unfortunately he's got a bit of swelling in a front leg, so we've had a look at it and probably, I think, the spring is over which is unfortunate for everyone involved, because the horse was going great. But he'll come back and he'll be fine for the future," Weir told Racing.com.

"I don't know the full extent of it yet, to be honest, but he just looks like he's got one branch of his suspensory that's just got a little bit of filling in it, so if we stop now I'm sure he'll be fine.

"He's been a beautiful, sound horse. He's never had a problem, that horse."

Weir's other runner in the Cox Plate, Kings Will Dream {Ire} (Casamento {Ire}) continues his recovery from a fracture in his pelvis, with positive blood reports revealing the 5-year-old was progressing but was not out of the woods yet.

Our Idaho's Cup campaign off

Our Idaho (Ire) (Galileo {Ire)) has been ruled out of the G1 Melbourne Cup after failing to work to satisfaction since arriving in Australia.

Aidan O'Brien's travelling foreman TJ Comerford confirmed that Our Idaho had simply not adjusted.

"He was working well before he came here and Aidan was happy with how he was going but it just hasn’t been happening here,” Comerford told reporters.

“Aidan agreed that we should just forget about that (Melbourne Cup) for now."

“If there was another race for him we might consider it but at the moment I can’t see anything (else) for him because he needs to go a trip.”

O'Brien will have three runners in the Cup with Yucatan Ire (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) favourite for the $7.5 million race.

The Cliffsofmoher (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and Rostropovich (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) will be O'Brien's other runners.

There were 47 second acceptances in the Melbourne Cup taken on Monday. Caulfield Cup runner-up Homesman (USA) (War Front {USA}) and The Taj Mahal (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) were also notable omissions.

Ellerslie return likely for Bosson

Jockey Opie Bosson is likely to make a return to race day riding next week at Ellerslie after injuring his foot in a barrier incident when riding at Ellerslie on Friday.

Bosson’s foot was crushed in the barriers and he was forced to stand down for the remainder of the day, which included giving up his mount on Queen of the Air (I Am Invincible) in the G3 Soliloquy Stakes.

Bosson had x-rays taken on Monday morning, which came back clear, and he is confident he can make a return to the track next week.

“I just went and got it x-rayed this morning, there are no fractures, it is just bruised and swollen,” Bosson said. “It’s just up to me (when I make a return), but I’ll be ready for Ellerslie next week."

“I’ll probably head to the track on Thursday morning to have a bit of a ride around and check how it is, but I am pretty confident once the swelling goes down it will be fine.”