But when it comes to Tuesday's A$6 million Gr.1 Melbourne Cup, it will be Garry's daughter and Mark's sister Celia who is cheering loudest as 24 stayers vie for supremacy in one of the world's greatest races.
Celia Crawshaw bred six-year-old Savabeel gelding Brambles, the 2012 Gr.1
Queensland Derby winner who confirmed himself as one of the key contenders for
the Melbourne Cup with a last-start fourth in the $A3 million Gr.1 Caulfield
Cup.Celia was brought up immersed in breeding and racing but Brambles, who tackles Saturday's $A1 million Gr.1 Mackinnon Stakes, was the first Group winner she has bred and could now provide her with an unforgettable thrill.
Savabeel, who stands at the Chitticks' Waikato Stud, is also the sire of fellow Waikato-bred cup contender Lucia Valentina.
Bred by Blandford Lodge's Graham and Helen-Gaye Bax, Lucia Valentina is raced by Wellington's Lib Petagna and managed by Masterton bloodstock agent Bruce Perry. She began her career with Cambridge trainer Stephen Marsh but is now with Newcastle trainer Kris Lees.
While there will be no New Zealand-trained Melbourne Cup runner for the third straight year, there is still plenty of other Kiwi interest in the race.
The O'Leary family races Gr.1 Auckland Cup winner Who Shot Thebarman, who transferred from Palmerston North trainer Mark Oulaghan to ex-pat Kiwi and now leading Sydney trainer Chris Waller. By White Robe Lodge stallion Yamanin Vital, Who Shot Thebarman was bred by White Robe's Brian and Lorraine Anderton.
Sir Patrick Hogan will again have Melbourne Cup interest through Zabeel gelding Precedence, who he bred with the Dowager Duchess of Bedford. That pair race Precedence with Berri Schroder and Dato Tan Chin Nam, who has won Melbourne Cups before with Think Big (1974-75) and Saintly (1996).
Matamata trainer Michael Moroney, who produced Brew to win the 2000 Melbourne Cup, has qualified Araldo from his Melbourne stable.By former Windsor Park Stud sire High Chaparral, Araldo is co-owned by Kiwi businessman Gerard Peterson, who has had 23 previous Melbourne Cup runners, at least one in the race for the past 15 years, among them Brew.
Former Central Districts stayer Mr O'Ceirin is another assured of a start. The Postponed gelding began his career with Foxton trainer Sandie Cookson before breeder-owner Wayne Keenan sold him to Australian interests.
However, at 28 and 38 on the order of entry Prince Of Penzance and Thunderbird One will need events to go their way to seal a start in the Cup.
Rich Hill Stud's John Thompson and Alan Galbraith co-bred Pentire gelding Prince Of Penzance, while former Levin trainer Francis Finnegan trains the Mike Tololi-bred Storm Creek gelding Thunderbird One for Kiwi owners Frank Gilchrist and Chris Cowell. Thunderbird One is entered for Saturday's $A300,000 Lexus Stakes (2500m) at Flemington in a last-ditch attempt to secure a Cup start. - NZ Racing Desk
