Monday, 20 August 2007: Talented galloper Fiumicino begins his build-up to this year’s spring Cups when he resumes in Saturday’s Warwick Stakes at Randwick.
 | Nick Moraitis leads Fiumicino back to scale after winning the AJC Derby
Photo by Racing and Sports | |
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The smart four-year-old has raced just six times for three wins, including a soft win on a heavy track in the Group 1 AJC Derby (2400m) at Randwick in April.
After a winter spell he resumes in Saturday’s weight-for-age entree for many spring contenders, and comes into the race on the back of an easy trial at the same track when fourth.
With regular rider Darren Beadman serving a suspension copped in England, Tye Angland is likely to take the ride.
Trained by John Hawkes and owned by Nick Moraitis, Fiumicino is equal favourite with Efficient for the Caulfield Cup with Sportingbet at $13.00, while in the Melbourne Cup he is on the fourth line of betting in a cramped market at $16.00 behind Pop Rock ($12.00), Efficient ($13.00) and Maybe Better ($15.00).
Fiumicino’s Derby win at just his sixth start and his first over the 2400m journey returned a
Timeform 
rating of 122 – not far from last season’s ratings toppers Haradasun and Mentality who both had ratings of 126.
Fiumicino faces no easy task despite his short odds early in the betting. The last AJC Derby winner to take the Melbourne Cup in the same year was Peter Pan - in 1932.
