Melbourne Cup 2016: Professional punter Sean Bartholomew insists Jameka a ‘true 50-1 chance’ and won’t run a place

ONE of Australia’s sharpest punters Sean Bartholomew has declared Jameka a “true 50-1 chance” in the Melbourne Cup and insists she won’t even run a place.

ONE of Australia’s sharpest punters Sean Bartholomew has declared Jameka a “true 50-1 chance” in today’s $6.2 million Melbourne Cup (3200m) and insists the Caulfield Cup winner won’t even run a place.

Bartholomew, who backed Red Cadeaux to win $1 million in the 2011 Melbourne Cup before the horse went down by a nostril at $31, on Monday backed both Almoonqith ($31) to win $500,000 and Almandin ($15) to win $100,000 at what bookmaker Robbie Waterhouse described as one of the best Call Of The Cards in “four or five years” at the Crown Casino in Melbourne.

Punters came for a host of runners, including Jameka ($9-$8), who was accountable for a stack of five-figure bets, including one at $30,000 and another of $80,000 at $9, which was shared across three bookmakers.

But despite the heavy go for Jameka, who has also been well-backed with the TAB for Tuesday’s big race, Bartholomew insists the Caulfield Cup winner is well and truly under the odds.

Big punter Sean Bartholomew.

“The massive unders I think was Jameka and I think she is a true 50-1 chance and I don’t think it will run a place,” he said.

“It just doesn’t line up well and I can’t justify with the runs that she has had for Jameka to be a $9 chance.

“There are just too many risks.

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“I’ve got Hartnell on top from Almoonqith, Almandin and Who Shot Thebarman.

“I thought the market aligned pretty well (at the Call Of The Cards) with the exception of one runner (Jameka).”

Others heavily supported on Monday were Almandin and Wicklow Brave.

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Almandin firmed from $15-$13 at the event partially due to Bartholomew’s backing, while Wicklow Brave shortened from $17-$15 after bookie Tom Waterhouse backed the horse to win $250,000 at $17. Big punter Adam Sparrow also backed Wicklow Brave to win $300,000 at a price of $16.

Big punter Sean Bartholemew has tipped Hartnell to win the Melbourne Cup.

Perhaps the biggest surprise on Monday was the lack of support for favourite Hartnell. The four bookies- Robbie Waterhouse, Mark Sampieri, Matt Tripp and Warren Woodcock, offered a maximum price of $5.50 for Hartnell and big punters didn’t step in at the price.

Tom Waterhouse said he wanted to back Hartnell but not at those odds and his father Robbie expects the money to come for the favourite today.

“Every runner was virtually backed and there wasn’t a runner that wasn’t backed,” he said.

“I think they will come for Hartnell (today) but they didn’t (yesterday) and it was under-backed.

“I thought Hartnell would be hard to beat, I thought Big Orange had a great chance and I thought Heartbreak City and Wicklow Brave both have chances and it’s a hard race.”

Of course, Robbie will be cheering on his wife Gai’s horse Excess Knowledge in the Cup today.

“I would love to see my wife’s horse win which I bought for her in England,” he said.

“I think he is a great chance and I think the horse is going better now than he was (last year) and Gai tells me he is pitch perfect.”

One punter tried to back Sir John Hawkwood to win $1 million yesterday but was restricted to win $500,000 at a price of $151. Steve Bradley also backed Exospheric ($21) to win $500,000 across four bookmakers. Another punter had $15,000 on Big Orange at $15.