Damien Oliver will ride Media Puzzle in the Tooheys New Melbourne Cup next Tuesday. The rider's participation in the race was thrown into doubt after his older brother Jason died on Tuesday from severe head injuries suffered in a fall on Monday.
The jockey has decided to ride on Saturday at the Victoria Derby meeting and again on Tuesday at Flemington. However, he will not participate in the Crown Oaks and Emirates Stakes meetings that conclude the week-long Melbourne Cup carnival.
Mark Weld, whose father Dermot trains the highly-fancied pair Vinnie Roe and Media Puzzle, said he was delighted with Oliver's decision.
Meanwhile, British challenger Daliapour stepped up in his preparations at Sandown this morning after a relatively sedate couple of weeks. Trainer Sir Michael Stoute is scheduled to arrive in Melbourne tomorrow to oversee the finishing touches to the six-year-old's build up.
Godolphin are keeping a close eye on the weather before deciding whether Hatha Anna will run in Saturday's Mackinnon Stakes at Flemington before the feature event. The five-year-old worked with fellow Cup hopes Beekeeper and Pugin in a leisurely fashion today.
Filed by Laura Reynolds
