May 5 - Now that the Kentucky Derby has come and gone, it's time to shift gears and focus on one of the most important horse races in the Southern Hemisphere in the form of the upcoming Melbourne Cup, arguably the most prestigious race in Australia, and one which Empires Choice is being aimed at.

Trained by Australian training legend, Bart Cummings, Empires Choice is being taken off retirement to begin training for the famous 3200m (almost 2 mile) race at Melbourne's Flemington Racecourse on November 3. Although months away, trainers across the nation will begin prepping their best 3-year-olds.

Empires Choice was retired a year ago after suffering from a soft tissue injury. However, he has made a full recovery and has obviously shown the champion trainer that he still has the potential to go all the way. If everything goes to plan, come November he'll run against the Cup's many other top contenders.

Said Cummings, 'He is back in work and had a trial at Flemington on Friday. His leg has been scanned and there's no sign of the injury. After Steven Arnold rode him in the trial, he said he felt good. So we'll keep him in training in Melbourne and enter him in all the spring carnival races including the Cups.'

The 82-year-old trainer is no stranger to the Melbourne Cup after winning this lucrative race an amazing 12 times with 11 horses. His last triumph was in 2008, when Viewed with Blake Shinn aboard stormed across the line first. That same year, Viewed won the auspicious Brisbane Cup at Eagle Farm.

Cummings wants to make it two in a row and has chosen Empires Choice for the job. Prior to being injured, the colt was all set to tackle the 2007 Melbourne Cup, but Cummings' plans were scuppered when an equine influenza outbreak prevented him from transporting the colt from Sydney to Melbourne.

This year's Melbourne Cup could see the Redoute's Choice colt finally start in a race that Cummings has intended him for his whole career. The question is whether he can make it to the big race without further injury. In his career, Empires Choice has won three races including the Queensland Derby in 2007.

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2011/12/09 12:48:58 AM