Simenon connections face anxious wait Emmet Mullins has plenty to worry about as he continues to oversee Simenon's preparation for Tuesday's Emirates Melbourne Cup. The nephew and assistant of trainer Willie Mullins has been looking after the gelding since he arrived in Australia and partnered him in a racecourse gallop at Flemington earlier this week. It is sit-and-suffer time for connections, though, as Simenon is 23rd on the list for the 24-strong field and could yet be pushed out if the winners of Saturday's Mackinnon and Lexus Stakes take the opportunity for a guaranteed spot in the Cup. The ride on Simenon will also force Richard Hughes to sweat down to his lightest possible weight of 53.5 kilograms (8st 6lb), while the jockey will be jetting in direct from action in the Breeders' Cup. The versatile six-year-old, who was second to Estimate in the Gold Cup, is beginning to impress work-watchers at his Werribee base and caught the eye with his staying-on third in his prep-race, the Herbert Power Stakes at Caulfield over an inadequate mile and a half. "We've got our fingers crossed and hope we get in," said Emmet Mullins. "We're delighted with him and he ran well in the Herbert Power. "It's going to be a bit of a stretch (for Hughes to do the weight). "I think he has only done the weight once this year and he's a big guy but he'd been on at Willie for a while trying to get on the horse."
