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Most Exciting Melbourne Cup In The Offing

By Anil Mukhi | 01 Nov 2010 |


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For many years the manner in which top Australian-trained runners have been campaigned has been a source of amazement to racing fans in other parts of the world. While high class runners in America, Europe or India usually need at least two weeks, if not three, between starts, "Down Under" they think nothing of racing thrice in ten days!

These words are being written in the context of the fact that the favourite for the Gr.1 Emirates Airline Melbourne Cup, to be run over 3,200 m. at the Flemington racecourse on Tuesday, November 2nd, is So You Think (High Chaparral – Triassic, by Tights). Winner, as noted in these columns, of that country's most famous weight-for-age event, the Gr.1 Tatts W.S. Cox Plate at Moonee Valley on October 23rd, he tuned up for his forthcoming long distance test not with a canter, or even a gallop, but with yet another race! The four-year-old made light of his opposition in the 2000 m. Gr.1 Longines Mackinnon Stakes on October 30th, handily beating 11 rivals which included last year's Melbourne Cup hero, Shocking (by Street Cry), who finished sixth, and Gr.1 BMW Caulfield Cup hero Descarado (by High Chaparral), who ended as runner-up.

This year's renewal of the Melbourne Cup, fondly known as the "Race Which Stops a Nation", has a full field of 24 declared to start and So You Think, who will have regular rider Steven Arnold in the irons, is a hot favourite at a little over 3 to 1. Doubts have been expressed in some quarters regarding his ability to last out the gruelling trip. No less a rider than the experienced Mick Kinane, whose ground-breaking victory in this race astride the Dermot Weld-trained Vintage Crop in 1993 set the trend for the waves of subsequent international raiders, feels the public choice is suspect in the stamina department.

So who do you think might prevail?

Shocking (Michael Rudd up) obviously has what it takes – he is at 8 to 1 despite having to start from the widest draw in stall no. 24. Godolphin runs a pair in the British-based Campanologist (by Kingmambo) at 33 to 1 and Holberg (by Halling) at 20 to 1, both from Saeed bin Suroor's stables. Frankie Dettori rides the latter with Kerrin McEvoy getting the call on the former. Better fancied than these are bottom-weighted Maluckyday (by Zabeel), a 10 to 1 choice with Luke Nolen doing duty, and the 12 to 1 Descarado (Nash Rawiller), attempting to turn the tables on his recent conqueror. Also at twelves is the interesting French challenger Americain (by Dynaformer), who has been tuned to perfection by Alain du Royer Dupre and will have Gerald Mosse aboard. Winner of his last four starts, he has the benefit of having had a recent run in Australia, the Gr.3 Centrebet.Com Geelong Cup in which he carried top weight to victory with Mosse up.

The only other contestant at less than 20 to 1 is another English-trained runner Manighar (by Linamix), who is virtually level on form with Americain, and who finished just 3 lengths behind Descarado last time out in his Australian debut. Luca Cumani has booked ace rider Damien Oliver to guide his ward, currently quoted at 14 to 1. The schooler's other runner Bauer (by Halling), beaten only a nose in 2008 in this event but rarely seen since, is at 50 to 1.

Irish hopes are carried by Dermot Weld's consistent racemare, Profound Beauty (by Danehill), while Japan is represented by Tokai Trick (by El Condor Pasa). Harris Tweed (by Montjeu), trained by the father-and-son team of Murray and Bjorn Baker, is well weighted to be in the shake-up. Obviously with such a big field, luck will play an important part. If So You Think stays, it should be no race; on the other hand, if he weakens after having flattered for a while, then stouter runners like Americain, Harris Tweed, Holberg, Maluckyday and Manighar could vie for supremacy.

Post time is 9:30 a.m. Tuesday morning in India for the feature event, which is the seventh race on the long card. Those able to access the Australia Network TV Channel can see 3 events on the programme, which commences at 7:30 a.m., namely the Schweppes Tonic 1000, the Lexus Hybrid Plate and, of course, the Emirates Melbourne Cup.

The complete field with trainers, riders, draw numbers and weight allotted:

  1.  SHOCKING Mark Kavanagh, Michael Rodd (24) 57 kg.
  2.  CAMPANOLOGIST (USA), Saeed bin Suroor, Kerrin McEvoy (19) 56 kg.
  3.  SO YOU THINK (NZ), Bart Cummings, Steven Arnold (3) 56 kg.
  4.  ZIPPING Robert Hickmott, Nicholas Hall (16) 55.5 kg.
  5.  ILLUSTRIOUS BLUE (GB) William J Knight, Glen Boss (9) 55 kg.
  6.  MR MEDICI (IRE) Peter Ho, Darren Beadman (5) 55 kg.
  7.  SHOOT OUT John Wallace, Corey Brown (17) 55 kg.
  8.  AMERICAIN (USA) Alain du Royer Dupre, Gerald Mosse (12) 54.5 kg.
  9.  TOKAI TRICK (JPN) Kenji Nonaka, Shinji Fujita (4) 54.5 kg.
10.  BUCCELLATI (GB) Tony Noonan, Steven King (21) 54 kg.
11.  DESCARADO (NZ) Gai Waterhouse, Nash Rawiller (1) 54 kg.
12.  HARRIS TWEED (NZ) Murray & Bjorn Baker, Brad Rawiller (13) 54 kg.
13.  MANIGHAR (FR) Luca Cumani, Damien Oliver (20) 54 kg.
14.  MASTER O’REILLY (NZ) Danny O’Brien, Vlad Duric (18) 54 kg.
15.  MONACO CONSUL (NZ) Michael Moroney, Craig Williams (14) 54 kg.
16.  PROFOUND BEAUTY (IRE) Dermot K Weld, Pat Smullen (22) 54 kg.
17.  ZAVITE (NZ) Anthony Cummings, Michael Walker (7) 54 kg.
18.  BAUER (IRE) Luca Cumani, Chris Munce (2) 53.5 kg.
19.  HOLBERG (UAE) Saeed bin Suroor, Frankie Dettori (10) 53.5 kg.
20.  PRECEDENCE (NZ) Bart Cummings, Blake Shinn (15) 53.5 kg.
21.  RED RULER (NZ) John Sargent, Mark du Plessis (8) 53.5 kg.
22.  LINTON Robert Hickmott, Brett Prebble (23) 52 kg.
23.  ONCE WERE WILD Gai Waterhouse, Jim Cassidy (11) 51.5 kg.
24.  MALUCKYDAY (NZ) Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes, Luke Nolen (6) 51 kg.