 |
 |
|
|
|
Melbourne Cup - Tuesday 2 November 2010 |
| Tweet |
racing news /
The Melbourne Cup - Antepost Preview
08/10/10
It’s that time of year when the eyes of the racing world begins to develop an international flavour. With the flat season coming to a head, attention turns to the Breeders Cup meeting in the USA, whilst Down Under, the Melbourne Cup takes centre stage. ‘The race that stops a nation’ is one of the most valuable handicaps in the world and is always one of the highlights of any year and this year looks to be no different with a class field heading to Flemington on Tuesday 2nd November.
 |
There is always added interest in the horses heading to Australia from Europe and the Northern Hemisphere looks set to be well represented. A strong hand is once again expected from Dermot Weld in Ireland among others, whilst Godolphin also look set to make a bid for the $3 million first prize in 2010.
Dermot Weld is no stranger to Melbourne success having won the big race twice already, the Irish trainer won with Vintage Crop in 1993 and Media Puzzle in 2002, in fact, he is the only European trainer to win the race in the last 20 years and goes for his third triumph with Profound Beauty in 2010.
Weld looks to have a real chance with Profound Beauty who looks the ideal Melbourne Cup horse. The six year old mare has been aimed at the race for some time and looks to have the class needed in this company. We saw her come second last time out in the Irish St Leger to Sans Frontieres in an impressive run, who himself was also targeted towards Melbourne before being scratched with sickness. Profound Beauty will be making her second Melbourne Cup appearance this year after finishing 5th place in 2008; she looks a better horse now, having won six of nine starts since that last trip Down Under and with doubts over her ability to stay the trip dismissed by connections, this daughter of Danehill should be able to at least able to improve on that performance this time around and is best price 16/1 with Sky Bet and Ladbrokes .
Godolphin also head to Australia, looking to end their Melbourne Cup curse having never won the race and in Holberg, they look to have a real chance of glory this time around. Last seen winning at Goodwood in September, Holberg looks very much first string for Saeed Bin Suroor. The boys in Blue have had three second places in the race and have made it known they are desperate to better that. As well as Holberg they also have the newly acquired Easter Aria, who despite being trained by Mark Johnston, is now a Godolphin horse and Coral rate him a best price 20/1 to win the Cup. He is another nice horse who is a late entry for Flemington but after a win at the St Leger meeting recently he looks to be an improving type, they clearly feel he is in within a chance having been entered and that means he is one to watch in the market and the current quotes of 50/1 in the Melbourne Cup betting could look big come the off.
Luca Cumani is a trainer to keep an eye on as well this year as he takes the impressive Drunken Sailor down under, we last saw him winning over 1m 6f at Goodwood on soft ground and there is no doubting about the trip after previously winning a Group Three over two miles. With that in mind, he looks like he could be a big player at Flemington with Cumani sure to have him in good order for a tilt at the big race and is more of the more interesting European candidates and could be well in at the weights making the 25/1 look an enticing each way proposition.
The Aussies love to keep the Melbourne Cup to themselves but this year they face a tough challenge from their European counterparts and Profound Beauty, Holberg and Drunken Sailor all make appeal in the antepost Racing betting, with Profound Beauty the likelier winner of the three.
The legendary Aussie trainer, Bart Cummings, who has won the race a staggering twelve times, has two runners towards the top of the betting with So you Think and Precedence both capable of making it win number 13 whilst last years winner, Shocking, aims to become only the fifth horse to win back-to-back cups and is the current market leader.
However, if any of the Aussie runners are to continue the home domination of this race, they will have to be at their best as the European Raiders aim to upset the home crowd, who never like being beaten on their own patch!
