Racing Melbourne Cup 2023 ( no after the fact posts)

Melbourne Cup winner??

  • 2.ALENQUER(9) - Damien Oliver

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • 8.RIGHT YOU ARE(15) - John Allen

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • 13.OKITA SOUSHI(20) - Dylan Gibbons (a)

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • 14.SHERAZ(22) - Beau Mertens

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • 16.MAGICAL LAGOON(7) - Mark Du Plessis

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • 19.VIRTUOUS CIRCLE(6) - Craig Newitt

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • 22.INTERPRETATION(17) - Teo Nugent

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • 23.KALAPOUR(14) - Zac Lloyd (a)

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Total voters
    99
  • Poll closed .

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Post Caulfield Cup rankings

1A. GOLD TRIP - Really good run in the Caulfield Cup beating everything bar the winner heading this way comfortably. Expect Flemington to suit him a lot better and presume he meets WAF slightly better at the weights now heading there. Has the class and is already proven running out a strong 2 miles in the Melbourne Cup. All going to be weather dependent as to whether he is the top seed or not. If the track has give in it then it really improves his chances and puts the slows on his main rivals.

1B. WITHOUT A FIGHT - Brilliant winner of the Caulfield Cup. Had a couple lengths on Gold Trip and 5 lengths + on everything else heading this way so very hard to see anything else bar GT being able to turn the tables at Flemington. Technically he is unproven at the trip but with 2800m form in England the expectation is that shouldn't be a problem out here. His wheels don't spin on a wet surface though so if we have a soft track then its almost rule a line territory. Firm track though and he is the one to beat.

3. SOULCOMBE - Complete barrier rogue. Walked out 8 lengths behind them in the Caulfield Cup and ran really well considering. Made up good ground in that race through the 800-600 and was on the back of WAF and GT but then got crowded for a bit of room in the straight before plugging home reasonably. I think 2 miles at Flemington will suit him perfectly and that was a decent Cup trial all things considered but he is just consistently shit at the barriers and is just getting worse so no reason to think he wont miss the kick poorly at Flemington again and have to pass the whole field.

4. VAUBAN - Valiant King didn't exactly frank the form at Caulfield but he finished around these sort of horses and Vauban did beat him pretty comfortably by a couple lengths so would expect him to be in this sort of area still.

5. BREAKUP - Average at best Caulfield Cup run and he just didnt seem fast enough or good enough to sustain speed over 2400m. I expect the bigger Flemington track and the 2 miles to both be better suited for him but not by enough to be able to make up the difference on those already rated ahead of him.

Doesn't seem any point in going beyond this for winning chances for me. It was a strong Caulfield Cup and that is THE form race for Flemington with the other lead ups looking pretty lackluster. For the sake of looking deeper ill just round out the list with the best roughies for the back end of exotics.

ASHRUN - Currently $120 was one of the better runs out of the Bart Cummings. Off the scene for pretty much 2 years his first up run this prep was really good sitting 3WNC and getting beat 3.75L over 1700m. Backed that up in the Bart Cummings running on really well from last clocking the best last 800, 600 and 400 whilst giving away 5kg to the first two.

DAQUIANSWEET JUNIOR - Currently $101. As previously stated in this thread he is basically on the same prep as last year where he ran a credible 6th in the Cup and gets in nice and light in the weights. His 3200m form in this country is good and generally runs above market expectations when getting out to a trip so can see him running past some more tired horses at the end.

SPANISH MISSION - Currently $65. As said above he had been pegged as an out and out 2 miler since he got here and he has had 6 runs since that Spring for 5 goes at 2000m or less and one go at 2400m on a wet track which he doesn't go on. He is older, locally trained and had injuries so obviously not near his best but he has a lot more class potential than anything else in the dregs and his last start Turnbull 8th has a lot of merit crossing the line with most of these types.

VIRTUOUS CIRCLE - Currently $55. Had no luck in the Bart Cummings when running into traffic everywhere. Think he finishes considerably closer with luck and meets most of that field better of fat the weights should they meet again at Flemington.

MORE FELONS - Currently $300. For the plays tall believers. Yet to be seen but on his European form he isn't really any worse off than a lot of others also making up the numbers and he is a considerably better price than most of them. He will stay the 2 miles no problems and gets in light at the weights. For comparison he took on Absurde in the Ebor in their last race start before coming here and he was 14/1 vs 7/1 in that race carrying basically a kilo more and now meets him 3.5kg better off for a 3 length defeat in that race so I think id rather spec MF at 15x the price.


Trouble with a lot of the roughies though is they are on the day F4 add ons and if they run well before the Cup the odds will likely be gone and if they run like shit you probably dont want to be with them...
 
Only 0.5kg isn’t too bad. I thought they might have gone for a late entry into the Cox Plate but probably wouldn’t want to risk it getting another penalty. I think it will run in the Might and Power to keep the legs ticking before the cup.

You don’t get penalized for winning a Cox Plate
 

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how come?

Because its not that good a horse and will not be able to get anywhere near a horse like RW let alone some of the better locals

It is a Danceteria to RW's Lys Gracieux
 
Its only 5 weeks away now....Here's a couple of articles for those interested in the plodding hurdler (firming Melb Cup fave) Vauban;-


and



I really cannot wait for raceday...!!
 
Its only 5 weeks away now....Here's a couple of articles for those interested in the plodding hurdler (firming Melb Cup fave) Vauban;-


and



I really cannot wait for raceday...!!

Pretty sure Chapman was all aboard Gold Trip last year (AB certainly were at call of the card). Hope he goes back to back.
 
Vauban is not the typical hurdler, or typical Euro handicapper. He’s had 2 runs in stakes company on the flat (a listed race in France and a group 3 in Ireland) and won both easily, albeit the fields he beat weren’t strong. Clearly he’s open to further improvement.

The typical hurdler generally turns to that discipline because their form on the flat is pretty limited. The typical handicapper is set for handicap events because it has failed to measure up at WFA in stakes grade. Ricci has stated that they purchased Vauban with the belief he had stakes level ability on the flat that they could explore after trying to pick off the premier hurdles.

To suggest he’s just a typical plodding hurdler or a typical Euro handicapper is just wrong. He was sent hurdling before finding his ceiling on the flat because Ricci and Mullins prefer hurdling. His profile is not typical at all, his ceiling is not yet known. He has a turn of foot and he can obviously stay.

Clearly there’s been a plan to beat the handicapper and not fully expose this horse.

I think he would have struggled to beat Desert Hero and Tower Of London at the featherweights they were allotted given their good runs in the St Leger, but they’re not here. Given that, I think he’s a good chance in the race, but he’s not good value at the current price.
 
The problem is they haven’t beaten the handicapper and his form is through the kind of handicaps and low level Irish black type races that never measures up

He is going to need to improve a fair bit to win with the weight he has and there is nothing in the price to account for all the negatives.

We’ve already seen this story before with max dynamite and Wicklow brave
 
The problem is they haven’t beaten the handicapper and his form is through the kind of handicaps and low level Irish black type races that never measures up

He is going to need to improve a fair bit to win with the weight he has and there is nothing in the price to account for all the negatives.

We’ve already seen this story before with max dynamite and Wicklow brave

MD was hardly disgraced? From memory WB bombed the start then pulled his head off down the back.
 
Yup - they also didn't jump $5

If you didn’t take the price when it was there you couldn’t possibly take the $5 about Vauban now, agree 100% with that. Think MD started around $21 (prob slightly over what Vauban’s true price now should be), WB was heading towards triple figures.
 

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Agree Vauban is getting short now - but when you’ve backed him at 12s and 10s and 8s and like the trainer and horse then your feeling pretty good about things right now


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I mean if you are excited taking those prices about a 15/1 shot then sure - I guess you can lay off. But that's all irrelevant now when its $5 fave.
 
Heartbreak City another horse who ran really well out here who was just a handicapper and hurdler but bolted in the Ebor and then only went down a head to Almandin
 
If you didn’t take the price when it was there you couldn’t possibly take the $5 about Vauban now, agree 100% with that. Think MD started around $21 (prob slightly over what Vauban’s true price now should be), WB was heading towards triple figures.

$13 Max and $16 Wicklow
 
Heartbreak City another horse who ran really well out here who was just a handicapper and hurdler but bolted in the Ebor and then only went down a head to Almandin

Again at 15/1 - we have also forgotten the boat load that have come with this (or superior) profiles and done nothing
 
Honestly he mostly reminds me of Mount Athos who was 5th at $7.50 to Green Moon carrying 54 and then 3rd at $13 to Fiorente carrying the same weight. I see him as a 3rd-6th type horse if he runs to his form.
 
While we are going through the negs of Vauban a couple that I would be worried about are the fact he has had a pretty hard last 12 months and basically been up since December of last year. Pretty sure there was talk of possibly sending him for a spell at one point. Also if the track came up firm on the day as a 3 or 4 I dont get the feeling he would love it
 
Ohhhhhk… I will start going to work in a few days but a couple that are in the order of entry looking like getting a start are….
  • Magical Lagoon
  • Virtuos Circle
  • Lastotchka

Not sure if any are running or not, but yeah these names had me scratching my head… research time.

Going on past years, are Benaud at 33 or Serpentine at 35 going to get a run at this stage with natural attrition?

I’ve taken a few early swipes at WAF due to iluvparis’s liking of it. Including a CC/MC double. Still makes me sick thinking how close you guys got to nailing the double last year on GT. Looks like it wants a dry track but thinking that will play into Breakup’s hands as well bing a Jap horse.

Bugger me Sir Lucan is 53 in order of entry… kinda sad where this race has gone in the last couple of years but it is becoming more and more a really good betting race as it holds so much coin…
 
Ohhhhhk… I will start going to work in a few days but a couple that are in the order of entry looking like getting a start are….
  • Magical Lagoon
  • Virtuos Circle
  • Lastotchka

Not sure if any are running or not, but yeah these names had me scratching my head… research time.

Going on past years, are Benaud at 33 or Serpentine at 35 going to get a run at this stage with natural attrition?

I’ve taken a few early swipes at WAF due to iluvparis’s liking of it. Including a CC/MC double. Still makes me sick thinking how close you guys got to nailing the double last year on GT. Looks like it wants a dry track but thinking that will play into Breakup’s hands as well bing a Jap horse.

Bugger me Sir Lucan is 53 in order of entry… kinda sad where this race has gone in the last couple of years but it is becoming more and more a really good betting race as it holds so much coin…
Hmm with some of those names you’ve listed other than WAF
Here’s a link you’ll need
www.officeworks.com.au

You’ll be going through a few red pens crossing out names
 
Hmm with some of those names you’ve listed other than WAF
Here’s a link you’ll need
www.officeworks.com.au

You’ll be going through a few red pens crossing out names

The Wire Reaction GIF
 
Joseph O’Brien’s pair of Northern Hemisphere’d Valiant King and Okita Soushi. Chances of them running?
 

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Racing Melbourne Cup 2023 ( no after the fact posts)

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