Melbourne Cup: Almandin primed for back to back wins
ALMANDIN is poised to become only the sixth multiple Melbourne Cup winner and provide owner Lloyd Williams with his sixth win in the great race at Flemington on Tuesday.
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ALMANDIN is poised to become only the sixth multiple Melbourne Cup winner and provide owner Lloyd Williams with his sixth win in the race that stops the nation at Flemington on Tuesday.
The final field for the $6.2 million Melbourne Cup (3200m) was declared on Saturday night with Almandin the $7 favourite on TAB Fixed Odds to go back-to-back in the great race.
Williams has called on riding legend Frankie Dettori to partner Almandin after Damien Oliver was suspended on Cox Plate Day.
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Almandin drew barrier 14 for Tuesday’s big race and is one of six Williams-owned runner in the race along with Johannes Vermeer, Bondi Beach, Rekindling, US Army Ranger and Gallante.
Nick Williams, who part-owns the six Williams stayers, gave a positive report about all six runners on Tuesday but is hopeful Almandin can win his second Melbourne Cup and add to his father’s Cup wins with Just A Dash (1981), What A Nuisance (1985), Efficient (2007), Green Moon (2012) and Almandin (2016).
“Almandin is in great order,’’ Williams said. “He drew 17 last year so he has come in three.
“He couldn’t be any better and we are very hopeful he can get the job done. It would be wonderful to be part of history of having a back-to-back Cup winner.
“Gallante needs a track with a bit of give in it. Bondi Beach hasn’t raced for seven or eight weeks but we have done that on purpose and barrier one will suit him.
“Johannes Vermeer is flying and his last gallop this morning at Werribee was very impressive, I think he will be in the finish all things being equal.
“US Army Ranger is a high class horse and if he finds his three-year-old form from last year he is as good as any horse in the race. Rekindling has a lot of promise and is one of the top three-year-old staying horses in Europe this year.
“I wouldn’t be crying if any of them one but I would be over the moon if Almandin won.’’
More than 100,000 race fans are expected to flock to Flemington on Tuesday for the 157th running of the Melbourne Cup. This year’s renewal has so many highlights including:
* Almandin’s attempt to join Archer (1861-62), Peter Pan (1932-1934), Rain Lover (1968-69), Think Big (1974-75) and Makybe Diva (2003-04-05) as the only multiple winners of the Melbourne Cup.
* Lloyd Williams, the most successful owner in Cup history, will have a record six runners in the race — Almandin, Johannes Vermeer, Bondi Beach, Rekindling, US Army Ranger and Gallante.
* Williams is trying to add to his record five Melbourne Cup wins with Just A Dash (1981), What A Nuisance (1985), Efficient (2007), Green Moon (2012) and Almandin (2016).
* There is a record-equalling 11 northern hemisphere-trained stayers in the race — Johannes Vermeer, Marmelo, Rekindling, US Army Ranger, Red Cardinal, Wicklow Brave, Wall Of Fire, Max Dynamite, Thomas Hobson, Nakeeta, Tiberian.
* Boom Time has an opportunity to become the 12th to claim the Caulfield Cup-Melbourne Cup double after Poseidon (1906), The Trump (1937), Rivette (1939), Rising Fast (1954), Even Stevens (1962), Galilee (1966), Gurner’s Lane (1982), Let’s Elope (1991), Doriemus (1995), Might And Power (1997) and Ethereal (2001).
* Single Gaze and Amelie’s Star are the only mares in the Cup field.
The international raiders are numerically powerful but only two of the 11 runners have had success at Group 1 level — Johannes Vermeer and Wicklow Brave.
The Aidan O’Brien-trained Johannes Vermeer won the Criterium International (1400m) in France as a juvenile and has trained on to be runner-up in an English St Leger two years ago and his luckless third in the Caulfield Cup earlier this spring.
O’Brien, the Irish training genius who has set a world record this year with 27 Group 1 wins and counting, has never won a Melbourne Cup, coming closest with Mahler who ran third in 2007.
The O’Brien stable rate Johannes Vermeer as superior horse Mahler and have dismissed stamina concerns about the four-year-old at 3200m.
“I don’t see it (3200m) being a problem,’’ said O’Brien’s stable representative, TJ Comerford.
“He seems to stay well, he is a strong finisher and has plenty of speed. He is everything you want for a Melbourne Cup horse.’’
Godolphin’s Hartnell has topweight of 57.5kg and is attempting to become the first number one saddlecloth bearer to win a Melbourne Cup since the great Makybe Diva completed her historic three-peat in 2005.
Hartnell is lining up for this thirds Melbourne Cup start having finished 15to Prince Of Penzance in 2015 before his third as favourite to Almandin last year.
Remarkably, Who Shot Thebarman, the evergreen nine-year-old from the Chris Waller stable, is contesting his fourth Melbourne Cup on Tuesday.
Who Shot The Barman, who ran third to Protectionist in 2014, ran 11th in 2015 then finished fifth last year, would be the oldest Melbourne Cup winner in history if successful on Tuesday. Eight-year-olds Toryboy (1985) and Catalogue (1938) are the oldest winners of the great race.
Gai Waterhouse’s Cismontane secured the last position in the Melbourne Cup with his Lexus Stakes win yesterday while ATC Australian Derby winner Jon Snow was ruled out with lameness.
Trainers Darren Weir, Robert Hickmott and Willie Mullins have three runners each in the final field.
Weir is saddling up Humidor, Amelie’s Star and Big Duke, Hickmott has Almandin, Bondi Beach and Gallante while Mullins will be represented by Wicklow Brave, Max Dynamite and Thomas Hobson.