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 .

Remove this Banner Ad

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...
 
Are we overlooking the most obvious we have here in Australia? If Gold Trip only gets 58 again he is a definite bet, especially at his current price.

The first up run was super (albeit against B graders but that might be all he comes up against on Cup Day)

Having to carry 58 this year will be a lot harder than 57.5 last year when all the weights had to be raised due to no natural top weight. He was only giving a couple of kilos to horses like Knights Order, Numerian and the Euro 3yos last year.

Wouldn't be ruling him out of the features though if he backs up his first up run
 

Log in to remove this ad.

Are we overlooking the most obvious we have here in Australia? If Gold Trip only gets 58 again he is a definite bet, especially at his current price.

The first up run was super (albeit against B graders but that might be all he comes up against on Cup Day)
Did you watch his autumn campaign? He was dreadful.

He also carried 6.5kg less than he should have the other day through some kind of loophole. I backed him on Saturday but give him no hope in the cup (unless there’s some kind of miracle turn around in form over the next 6 weeks). Pretty sure the goose is cooked.
 
Are we overlooking the most obvious we have here in Australia? If Gold Trip only gets 58 again he is a definite bet, especially at his current price.

The first up run was super (albeit against B graders but that might be all he comes up against on Cup Day)

No. He is cooked. He was dynamite first up last prep and then got flogged by Sydney cup horses the rest of the prep

Couldn’t even beat worse than that Saturday when thrown in
 
AB (I believe) have entered two frenchies as late noms, Lastotchka and Rue Boussonaide - first one hasn’t actually been paid for, the second one isn’t even for sale. Apparently connections didn’t even know they’d been entered 😂

Name a more incestuous duo than AB and french slowies!
 
Gee Vauban is short in the betting this far out - around 11/2 and its still around 7+ weeks until the 7th of November...
But he does tick a few boxes - lightly raced and watching his races can change pace well at the end of those longer trips, he has a good trainer in Mullins, and I suppose the biggest tick is he will carry maybe 56/57KG compared to having carried 70+ KG in hurdle races over in Ireland before switching to the flat winning by 7.5 lengths at Ascot..!! Maybe 11/2 is still value..!!
 
Gee Vauban is short in the betting this far out - around 11/2 and its still around 7+ weeks until the 7th of November...
But he does tick a few boxes - lightly raced and watching his races can change pace well at the end of those longer trips, he has a good trainer in Mullins, and I suppose the biggest tick is he will carry maybe 56/57KG compared to having carried 70+ KG in hurdle races over in Ireland before switching to the flat winning by 7.5 lengths at Ascot..!! Maybe 11/2 is still value..!!

Be surprised if he’s given 57, reckon 56 tops (I’m hoping for 54, which was shouted down pretty quickly). Heard VK had an issue post Ballyroan - if it indeed did, I think it makes it a tad harder to consider Vauban’s weight on that win (reiterate think?).
 
Gee Vauban is short in the betting this far out - around 11/2 and its still around 7+ weeks until the 7th of November...
But he does tick a few boxes - lightly raced and watching his races can change pace well at the end of those longer trips, he has a good trainer in Mullins, and I suppose the biggest tick is he will carry maybe 56/57KG compared to having carried 70+ KG in hurdle races over in Ireland before switching to the flat winning by 7.5 lengths at Ascot..!! Maybe 11/2 is still value..!!

It’s utter poison. Coming through form lines that are historically not good enough to win
 
Good runs by both Desert Hero and Tower of London in the Leger running 3rd and 4th. Should be a good form race if either decide to come out

Tower of London wants a bit firmer going than he got today I think
 

(Log in to remove this ad.)

Carrying 70kg in hurdles means nothing when they all carry that sort of weight. Relative weights are the only thing that matter

I get your point - but a lot of the horses running in the Melb.Cup this year will not have carried 70+KG over 2 miles.
And Vauban’s performances on the flat albeit against average opposition have been pretty impressive


On iPhone using BigFooty.com mobile app
 
I get your point - but a lot of the horses running in the Melb.Cup this year will not have carried 70+KG over 2 miles.
And Vauban’s performances on the flat albeit against average opposition have been pretty impressive


On iPhone using BigFooty.com mobile app

Every horse has the capability of carrying 70kg over two miles though. If something had won a picnic race in the lead up carrying 80kg we wouldn't be giving it a boost just because it had carried a heavy weight before.

I think he is a fair chance still, he is just rancid odds now.
 
are we sure WAF is even going to the Cup this year though? I found this from an article about a month ago:

While he will be entered for the Group 1 Melbourne Cup (3200m) at Flemington on November 7, Freedman said that race was unlikely to be on the gelding’s agenda after he finished 13th in it last year.

 
Tentative rankings at this stage.

1. Tower of London - Aiden's runner this year if he has one. Has to get here obviously but he has been put away for the Cup and undergoing all the vet stuff needed so can't do any more than that at this stage.

2. Silver Sonic - Another who has to get here obviously but is a very decent Japanese horse and the pick of the two possibly coming at level weights. Similar to an Admire Rakti or Stay Foolish type.

3. Without a Fight - Went around 12s in last year's Cup and has been super impressive here since showing a good turn of foot. Massive case of the Gold Trip's though with local trainers wanting to dodge the Cup for some insane reason.

4. Vauban - Going to be heavily weight dependant but brings in good second tier form that he is clearly better than and that form has held up well enough. No value left in the price though.

5. Saint George - Locally owned so will be here and brings in similar progressive 3yo form that has worked in the past. Will be locally trained though and will run again before the Cup so have to have ToL the #1 seed of the 3yos at the moment.

6. Breakup - The other Japanese runner that has to get here obviously but should be really suited to the 2 miles of Flemington. Hanshin Daishoten and Tenno Sho form is strong. Slightly below the quality of Silver Sonic though so weights will be interesting.

7. Valiant King - Another Euro 3yo with local connections who will be out here. Ascot form has held up. Ran well behind Vauban in the Ballyroan so will be interesting to see how he meets him at the weights from that rum.

8. Desert Hero - Decent Euro 3yo who should run well in the Leger so will get to see him again but is the one I have most doubts on actually coming of those that have mentioned the Cup.

9. Francesco Guardi - Good run in the Moonee Valley Cup last year and probably would have gone around at like 15s if they went to the Cup. Good first up run this prep.

10. Virtuous Circle - The best of last seasons staying 3yos for mine and at least has potential to become a Cups horse which I don't think many of the others have.

Updated pre weights rankings

1. Tower of London - Still the #1 seed until I hear he's not coming. Aiden sending out a Cox Plate runner though now can only be a positive. Lead up run in the St Leger running on from last to finish 4th on unsuitable ground looks right in the sweet spot for what you wanted to see.

2. Without a Fight - We will get to see how he comes back this week but goes up a spot due to Silver Sonic coming out.

3. Breakup - Bumping him up a spot now that he is confirmed in quarantine.

4. Vauban - Continues to be putrid odds 7 weeks out but obviously a decent chance still and now he is here at least.

5. Desert Hero - The other St Leger 3yo that ran a good 3rd crossing the line with TOL. Looking more likely to come out than not at the moment. Find it hard to see him beating home TOL out here though presuming we get a good track.

6. Just Fine - Main mover. Huge win in the Kingston Town after that good first up run here. Most of his racing has been at 2000m so distance a query but on breeding I think he is a pretty strong chance to run it. No idea why he isn't in the Caulfield Cup as that looks more like his race.

7. Francesco Guardi - Makybe Diva run was pretty much par. Nothing to move the needle.

8. Duke De Sessa - Nice enough return. Both runs out here have been half a mile short of what he wants but actually thought his run in the Doncaster was very good. Keen to see him out to 1800m this week.

9. Gold Trip - Nice return from a former Cups horse. Needs to back up that effort and will likely cop too much weight but sneaks in at the bottom with not much else around.

10. West Wind Blows - Doubt he runs the 2 miles but if he does then he has a winning chance which is more than I can say for much else.

OUTS

Valiant King - Went awful at his last start before coming here. Could not back a horse to turn it around on that
Virtuous Circle - Complete dog shit in the Feehan
 
Updated pre weights rankings

1. Tower of London - Still the #1 seed until I hear he's not coming. Aiden sending out a Cox Plate runner though now can only be a positive. Lead up run in the St Leger running on from last to finish 4th on unsuitable ground looks right in the sweet spot for what you wanted to see.

2. Without a Fight - We will get to see how he comes back this week but goes up a spot due to Silver Sonic coming out.

3. Breakup - Bumping him up a spot now that he is confirmed in quarantine.

4. Vauban - Continues to be putrid odds 7 weeks out but obviously a decent chance still and now he is here at least.

5. Desert Hero - The other St Leger 3yo that ran a good 3rd crossing the line with TOL. Looking more likely to come out than not at the moment. Find it hard to see him beating home TOL out here though presuming we get a good track.

6. Just Fine - Main mover. Huge win in the Kingston Town after that good first up run here. Most of his racing has been at 2000m so distance a query but on breeding I think he is a pretty strong chance to run it. No idea why he isn't in the Caulfield Cup as that looks more like his race.

7. Francesco Guardi - Makybe Diva run was pretty much par. Nothing to move the needle.

8. Duke De Sessa - Nice enough return. Both runs out here have been half a mile short of what he wants but actually thought his run in the Doncaster was very good. Keen to see him out to 1800m this week.

9. Gold Trip - Nice return from a former Cups horse. Needs to back up that effort and will likely cop too much weight but sneaks in at the bottom with not much else around.

10. West Wind Blows - Doubt he runs the 2 miles but if he does then he has a winning chance which is more than I can say for much else.

OUTS

Valiant King - Went awful at his last start before coming here. Could not back a horse to turn it around on that
Virtuous Circle - Complete dog s**t in the Feehan

Lol classic falling into the last run hype with Just Fine. Go and take a look how far Benaud got beat in the CC last year.

Nothing could be less relevant from a MC perspective than second tier Sydney staying form

Also extremely likely Breakup is completely cooked as is gold trip and WWB won’t run 3200 down a well.

The at lever 3yos who won’t come and WAF the only horses worth considering for now with DDS as a speculator
 
Lol classic falling into the last run hype with Just Fine. Go and take a look how far Benaud got beat in the CC last year.

Nothing could be less relevant from a MC perspective than second tier Sydney staying form

Also extremely likely Breakup is completely cooked as is gold trip and WWB won’t run 3200 down a well.

The at lever 3yos who won’t come and WAF the only horses worth considering for now with DDS as a speculator

Why is Breakup cooked?
 

Remove this Banner Ad

Racing Melbourne Cup 2023 ( no after the fact posts)

Back
Top