2017 Melbourne Cup: Lloyd Williams plots Almandin path towards back-to-back Melbourne Cups
LEGENDARY owner Lloyd Williams will target back-to-back Melbourne Cups for Almandin despite the threat of a hefty swing in the weights.
SuperRacing
Don't miss out on the headlines from SuperRacing. Followed categories will be added to My News.
LEGENDARY owner Lloyd Williams will target back-to-back Melbourne Cups for Almandin despite the threat of a hefty swing in the weights.
Almandin could be penalised between four and six kilograms for the 2017 Melbourne Cup after carrying only 52kg to victory at Flemington last year.
The Robert Hickmott-trained gelding was given 58kg for the Sydney Cup last month before connections pulled the pin on an autumn campaign to be fresh of the Spring Carnival.
Williams on Tuesday said Almandin would follow a similar preparation to last year, with two runs — a maximum of three — into the Cup.
“He will be trying to go back to back,” five-time Melbourne Cup owner Williams said.
“He’s a bit above himself still. We haven’t trimmed him up yet but towards August or so he will be looking a bit more serious than he’s looking today.
“I think weight will play a big part with him, how much weight he has to carry. It’s pretty hard to win back-to-backs especially in this day and age because as the race has been internationalised.”
Almandin has not been to the races since the Melbourne Cup.
If successful, the rising eight-year-old son of Monsun, would become the oldest winner of the Cup since 1938 and deliver Williams a sixth trophy for the mantelpiece.
Williams has about seven Cup hopefuls pencilled in but would be “thrilled” to get one runner.
Almandin ($21) is the pick of the yard with TAB, while Aloft has shortened from $101 to $26 after an impressive all-the-way 1800m win at Flemington on March 11, before a game second behind tough Darren Weir stayer Big Duke over 2600m at Randwick.
Crocodile Rock ($26), Our Century ($26), Kilimanjaro ($26) and Hans Holbein ($51) could also be put on Cups paths.
Irish import Kilimanjaro is likely to make his Australian debut next month. The five-year-old grey gelding has not raced since finishing fourth in the 2015 Irish Derby.
The road to the Melbourne Cup, The Holy Grail, starts today. Can't wait. Good luck to all comers @FlemingtonVRC https://t.co/WbHbLoj9od
â TeamWilliams (@TeamWilliams17) May 30, 2017
“I wouldn’t like to go and pick them at this particular moment. Their all an even sort of bunch,” Williams said yesterday after the launch of the 2017 Emirates Melbourne Cup Tour at his property in Mt Macedon.
“It’s pretty hard this race, it’s a draining sort of race because it takes such a long while the preparation of the race. “If you get one there you’re thrilled. We ran four in the race last year but you live in hope.”
STAYING POWER
ALMANDIN ($21 for Melbourne Cup)
Williams says: “He’ll be trying to go back-to-back, he looks very well.”
ALOFT ($101 into $26)
Williams says: “He’s a nice horse. Only had two runs in the autumn. He’ll be a horse that will come on.
CROCODILE ROCK ($51 into $26)
Williams says: “A nice staying horse there. Ex-Ballydoyle horse — born to stay but time will tell.”
KILIMANJARO ($26), OUR CENTURY ($26), HANS HOLBEIN ($51)
Williams says: “They’re horses that could step up.”
MELBOURNE CUP BETTING: TAB FIXED ODDS
Originally published as 2017 Melbourne Cup: Lloyd Williams plots Almandin path towards back-to-back Melbourne Cups