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Legendary Melbourne Cup winning owner Lloyd Williams slams ‘weak’ field

The owner who has won the most Melbourne Cups in the great race’s history has torn the 2022 edition’s field to shreds.

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The winningest owner in Melbourne Cup history Lloyd Williams has slammed the entire field in the great race, calling it “an extremely weak race”.

Williams, who has owned the winning horse seven times (in 1981, 1985, 2007, 2012, 2016, 2017 and 2020) cast his eye over the field for RadioTAB, taking a swipe at the race.

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Williams, who has just one entry in Serpentine in the field this year, said he believes the internationals will dominate, according to punters.com.au.

“It’s an extremely weak race this race when you look at the top,” Williams said.

“I think that Gold Trip is a good horse, but he’s won one race in his life and he’s the topweight.

“When Greg (Carpenter) did this, he didn’t have a natural topweight.”

Here is how Williams feels about some of the other contenders:

Lloyd Williams. Photo by Darrian Traynor/Getty Images
Lloyd Williams. Photo by Darrian Traynor/Getty Images

Serpentine

He’s a decent horse, we just haven’t been able to get him going. He’s probably just turned the corner for us to be perfectly honest.

We changed the gear on him (on Saturday), it did help him. In fact that run helped him a lot on Saturday. He’s terrific this morning and he was super yesterday actually, so he might have come on.

I’m living in hope that he has come on. He looks absolutely super. The best we’ve had him in the nine months he’s been here.

Johnny (Allen) didn’t know how to ride him properly, he knows how to ride him properly now. He made a couple of mistakes on Saturday, but my Irish friend Johnny Allen, he won’t make the same mistakes this time.

Deauville Legend

Comparatively, I don’t see the weight’s going to stop him. The only thing that possibly might stop him is does he run two miles? I’m not sure if he’ll run two miles, but James (Ferguson) I think is pretty confident he will.

He’s a proper horse. The form at Goodwood when he ran second was pretty good.

The difference is, people are looking at the fact Rekindling and Charlie’s (Appelby) horse (Cross Counter) being down in the weights, but this is a different weighted race. A much weaker race.

If you don’t want to back James’ horse, it’s a very open race.

It’s pretty obvious to me that he’s entitled to be favourite.

You can have a pick at another 10 or 11 horses if you leave the favourite out.

Deauville Legend is the clear favourite. Photo by William WEST / AFP-
Deauville Legend is the clear favourite. Photo by William WEST / AFP-

Realm of Flowers

She’s on 50kg. If it’s a wet track, she’s got a good chance.

Nothing would give me more pleasure than to see Anthony win the race. Anthony Freedman is a very good trainer.

They (Freedmans) understand mares and this mare has no weight and in the Metropolitan was probably a bit unlucky. Now whether that form is good enough to win the Melbourne Cup I don’t know, but 50kg helps doesn’t it.

Gold Trip

Does he have too much weight? He’s a decent horse, does he have too much weight for a horse that has won one race in his life? It’s like looking at Dan O’Brien’s horse Young Werther. He’s s decent horse too, but he’s won one race in his life. It’s like looking at our horse Serpentine, hasn’t won a race since the Epsom Derby. I wonder about Gold Trip. I saw his run in the Cox Plate. He had absolutely no luck in the Cox Plate. Jamie Spencer didn’t know where he was I don’t think. I’m not sure about Gold Trip, 57.5kg, getting two miles. Maybe. I see the Maher/Eustace team said it’s their best chance in the race. I would have thought probably myself, I sort of thought Smokin’ Romans is the better of their chances down the bottom.

Gold Trip . Photo by George Sal/Racing Photos via Getty Images
Gold Trip . Photo by George Sal/Racing Photos via Getty Images

Without a Fight

I think he’s got a chance. I think the international horses will be in the money, I’m sure that this horse will be in the money. He’s a Teofilo horse, he’ll run the trip.

Camorra

Camorra for the Hayes’ will run well. Camorra has got a very interesting situation. He’s won two races over there for Ger Lyons and they’re very good races if you want to look at the form.

He won the Curragh Cup. The year before he won the G3 race at Leopardstown on Champions day. Good horses win those races.

He’s had lots of ins and outs in between, but don’t be shocked by Camorra. I’ve got no idea how he’s going, I haven’t been at Werribee this year, I don’t have any horses there, but he’s got Irish form that doesn’t entitle him to be 50/1.

Duais

I like it. I like Edward Cummings. I like the horse. I just wonder about its preparation. Of the two mares, I prefer Edward’s horse over David Payne’s horse (Montefilia).

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This story originally appeared on punters.com.au and has been republished with permission

Originally published as Legendary Melbourne Cup winning owner Lloyd Williams slams ‘weak’ field

Original URL: https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport/horse-racing/legendary-melbourne-cup-winning-owner-lloyd-williams-slams-weak-field/news-story/e0d35b640886999014f2ae6ed9e7cb90