Melbourne Cup tips 2015: Who the experts are tipping in the great race at Flemington
THE Telegraph’s racing editor Ray Thomas tipped the winners of the Golden Slipper, Caulfield Cup and Cox Plate. See who he and our other experts have tipped for the Melbourne Cup.
- THE FORM: ULTIMATE CUP GUIDE
- THE FIELD: MELBOURNE CUP
- ANALYSIS: THE LEAD-UP RACES
- SPRING RACING: WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
THE Telegraph’s racing editor Ray Thomas is going for the Australian racing grand slam of tipping. He has tipped our readers this year’s winner of the Golden Slipper with Vancouver, the Caulfield Cup with Mongolian Khan, and Winx in the Cox Plate. See who he and our other experts have tipped for the big one... The Melbourne Cup.
RAY THOMAS (Daily/Sunday Telegraph)
1 TRIP TO PARIS
2 Preferment
3 Criterion
Roughie: Grand Marshal
RON DUFFICY (Sunday Telegraph)
1 FAME GAME
2 Preferment
3 Trip to Paris
Roughie: Our Ivanhowe
INSIDE MAIL: WHO THE BOOKIES ARE TIPPING
FUNNY SIDE: BOO BAILEY’S A-Z OF THE CUP
MICK CARROLL (Sunday Telegraph editor)
1 CRITERION
2 Fame Game
3 Preferment
Roughie: Gust of wind
PHIL ROTHFIELD (Sports Editor-at-large)
1 PREFERMENT
2 Trip To Paris
3 Grand Marshal
Roughie: Red Cadeaux
SWEEP GENERATOR: TAP HERE TO CREATE AND PRINT YOUR OWN SWEEP
MACCA, MATTY AND DANNY ASSESS EVERY RUNNER IN THE MELBOURNE CUP IN A SPECIAL EDITION OF THE SUPERRACING PODCAST. LISTEN BELOW
NIC ASHMAN (Daily/Sunday Telegraph)
1 PREFERMENT
2 Trip To Paris
3 Fame Game
Roughie: Almoonqith
ADAM MOBBS (Daily Telegraph)
1 FAME GAME
2 Preferment
3 Almoonqith
Roughie: Hartnell
SIMON THOMAS (Daily Telegraph)
1 FAME GAME
2 Trip To Paris
3 Preferment
Roughie: Grand Marshal
STEVE ZAMMITT (Daily Telegraph)
1 FAME GAME
2 Almoonqith
3 Who Shot Thebarman
Roughie: Hartnell
JOHN SIBBALD (Daily Telegraph)
1 TRIP TO PARIS
2 Fame Game
3 Max Dynamite
Roughie: Gust Of Wind
SHAYNE O’CASS (The Sportsman)
1 HOKKO BRAVE
2 Trip To Paris
3 Fame Game
Roughie: Criterion
RAY HICKSON (The Sportsman)
1 FAME GAME
2 Trip To Paris
3 Bondi Beach
Roughie: Red Cadeaux
DARREN PRENDERGAST (Superracing)
1 PREFERMENT
2 Fame Game
3 Trip To Paris
Roughie: Almoonqith
ROBERT CRADDOCK (The Courier Mail)
1. OUR IVANHOWE
2. Preferment
3. Trip to Paris
Roughie: Grand Marshal
BEN DORRIES (The Courier Mail/Sunday Mail)
1. TRIP TO PARIS
2. Gust Of Wind
3. Max Dynamite
Roughie: Red Cadeaux
MICHAEL MANLEY (Herald Sun)
1. PREFERMENT
2. Fame Game
3. Grand Marshal
Roughie: Who Shot Thebarman
DANNY RUSSELL (Herald Sun)
1 FAME GAME
2 Preferment
3 Almoonqith
Roughie: Hartnell
DARYL TIMMS (Herald Sun)
1 FAME GAME
2 Trip To Paris
3 Criterion
Roughie: Who Shot Thebarman
LAUREN WOOD (Herald Sun)
1. FAME GAME
2. Who Shot Thebarman
3. Max Dynamite
Roughie: Hartnell
BRAD DAVIDSON (Gold Coast Bulletin)
1. ALMOONQITH
2. Fame Game
3. Preferment
Best roughie: Grand Marshal.
BEN SCADDEN (The Advertiser)
1. FAME GAME
2. Preferment
3. Trip To Paris
Roughie: Hokko Brave
LINCOLN MOORE (The Advertiser)
1. FAME GAME
2. Max Dynamite
3. Preferment
Roughie: Sky Hunter
LEO SCHLINK (Herald Sun)
1. FAME GAME
2. Trip To Paris
3. Big Orange
Roughie: Red Cadeaux
NICK QUINN (TAB)
1 FAME GAME
2 Max Dynamite
3 Excess Knowlegde
Roughie: Grand Marshal
JON ANDERSON (Herald Sun)
1: MAX DYNAMITE
2: Fame Game
3: Preferment
Roughie: Hartnell
SIMON MOY (Superracing)
1. WHO SHOT THEBARMAN
2. The Offer
3. Preferment
Roughie: Grand Marshal
BY THE NUMBERS
18 — The unluckiest saddlecloth is 18 with just one win, and the unluckiest barrier is 18 with no winners.
4 and 12 — The luckiest saddlecloth with a combined total of 11 Cup wins.
2 — The number of Australian-bred horses since 2000 who have won the Melbourne Cup — Viewed (2008), Shocking (2009).
41 — The number of New Zealand-bred horses that won the Melbourne Cup from its inception in 1861.
11 — The most successful Melbourne Cup barrier producing seven wins over the years. Other barriers with good numbers producing six winners each are five, 10 and 14.
4 — The most wins by a jockey shared by Bobby Lewis (1902, 1915, 1919, 1927) and Harry White (1974, 1975, 1978, 1979). Makybe Diva has the most wins by a horse courtesy of its three-peat in 2003, 2004, 2005.
100-1 — The longest odds winners in Melbourne Cup history. The feat has been achieved three times by the Pearl (1871), Wotan (1936) and Old Rowley (1940). The shortest-priced favourite in Cup history was Phar Lap when he won in 1930 at 8-11 ($1.72).
5 — The number of horses to have won the Cup more than once.
Archer won in 1861-62, Peter Pan in 1932 and 1934, Rain Lover in 1968-69, Think Big in 1974-74 and Makybe Diva won three times from 2003-05.
2001 — Was the year the Sheila Laxon became the first woman train a Cup winner with Ethereal. Claire Lindop on the unplaced Debben was the first Australian female jockey to ride in the Cup.
23 — The percentage of favourites to win the Cup. Only one favourite Fiorent in 2013 has won the Cup over the past nine years since Makybe Diva won as favourite in 2005.
CUP SADDLECLOTH STATISTICS
Numbers 4 and 12 are the most successful boasting 11 wins.
No. 1: 9 wins
No. 8: 8 wins
No.11: 7 wins
No. 4 and 6 have won four of the past 15 Cups.
The numbers to win only one Cup are 26, 28 and 39.
The numbers to win only two Cups are 7, 16, 18, 21, 23 and 25
BARRIERS
Barrier five is still the most successful barrier in Melbourne Cup history with eight wins but its only just holding on. This year $201 outsider SERTORIUS starts from that barrier.
Last year’s winner PROTECTIONIST started from barrier 10 and that took the winning tally from that barrier to seven which is now equal second in the tally of winners. ALMOONQITH starts from that barrier. Barrier 11 has also won seven. PREFERMENT starts from that gate.
AGE
THE RECORD
3YO: 23; 4YO: 43; 5YO: 45; 6YO: 31; 7YO: 10; 8YO: 2
TODAY
4YO: Preferment, Bondi Beach, Gust of Wind.
5YO: Snow Sky, Criterion, Big Orange, Hartnell, Trip To Paris, Kingfisher.
6YO: Fame Game, Our Ivanhowe, Max Dynamite, Sky Hunter, Grand Marshal, Quest For More, Almoonqith, Prince Of Penzance, The United States, Excess Knowledge.
7YO: Who Shot The Barman, The Offer.
8YO: Hokko Brave, Sertorius.
10YO: Red Cadeaux.
GENDER
Geldings: 49; Colts: 21; Mares: 13; Fillies: 3; Entires: 68
FAVOURITES
In the past 25 Cups only six favourites have won and that included back-to-back victories as favourite by Makybe Diva in 2004-2005.
Last year’s favourite, Admire Rakti, started at $5.50 and finished last. Two years ago Fiorente started favourite at $7 and won.
The shortest-priced favourite to win was Phar Lap in 1930, who won at $1.36.
WEIGHT
Only two horses in the past 40 years have carried 58 kilos or more to win and they were Think Big in 1975with 58.5kg and Makybe Diva with 58kg in 2005.
Between 2001 and last year, superstar mare Makybe Diva carried the lightest weight with 51 kgs to win in 2003 and the heaviest in 2005.
Carbine holds the weight record with hauling 65.7 kgs to win in 1930,
THE TRAINERS
Lee Freedman is back with his brother Anthony and he’s looking to further etch his name into the record books. He’s on five Cup wins having trained Tawrrific in 1989, Subzero in 1992, Doriemus in 1995 and Makybe Diva in 2004 and 2005. If OUR IVANHOWE wins he’ll go to outright second in successful Melbourne trainers with six wins but still trailing the late legend Bart Cummings on 12.
Gai Waterhouse is aiming for her second Cup and she has two runners in THE OFFER and EXCESS KNOWLEDGE. Robert Hickmott also had a winner and he’s aiming to make it two with THE UNITED STATES. David Hayes, who trains in partnership with his nephew Tom Dabernig, has also won one Cup and he will be represented by ALMMONQITH and CRITERION.
FLEMIINGTON FORM
Criterion: 4-0-1-0
Our Ivanhowe: 1:0-1-0
Hartnell: 1:0-0-0
Red Cadeaux: 5: 0-3-0
Who Shot Thebarman: 4: 2-0-1
The Offer: 1-0-0-0
Grand Marshal: 1-1-0-0
Prince Of Penzance: 6: 1-3-0
Sertorius: 6: 2-1-1
The United States: 1-0-0-0
Excess Knowledge: 2:1-0-0
Gust Of Wind: 2:0-0-0
DISTANCE
Fame Game: 2: 0-1-0.
Big Orange: 3: 1-0-0
Hartnell: 2: 1-0-0
Hokko Brave: 2: 0-0-1
Max Dynamite: 7: 1-3-0
Red Cadeaux: 8: 0-4-1.
Trip To Paris: 2: 1-0-1
Who Shot Thebarman: 4: 1-1-1
The Offer: 2-1-0-0
Grand Marshal: 1:1-0-0
Quest For More: 3: 2-1-0
Almoonqith: 1-0-0-0
Sertorius: 1:0-0-1
FOLLOW THE JOCKEY
3 wins: Damien Oliver.
2 wins: Jim Cassidy.
1 win: Ryan Moore, Brett Prebble, Gerard Mosse, Black Shinn, Kerrin McEvoy.
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