Moonee Valley Cup 2016: Grand Marshal delivers Ben Melham a memorable double
GRAND Marshal and Who Shot Thebarman will have another crack at the Melbourne Cup after their Moonee Valley Cup quinella, while The United States bounced back to win the Crystal Mile.
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CHRIS Waller had “a nerve settler” before the main event when his war horses Grand Marshal and Who Shot Thebarman quinealled the 2500m Moonee Valley Cup.
Who Shot Thebarman finished third in 2014 in the Melbourne Cup before he was flattened in the straight last year and recovered to finish 11th.
Grand Marshall was also flattened in the same incident in the straight and finished 21st.
They are both having another crack at the race that stops a nation.
“They are both heading in the right direction. Last year both got knocked over in the straight,” Waller said.
“They are both genuine two milers. Whether they have the dash to beat the overseas horses I’m not sure, but we’ll have a good time finding out,” he said.
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Waller said he thought Who Shot Thebarman would beat Grand Marshall but there was never much between them.
He intended to run Grand Marshal in the Geelong Cup but missed out due to an administrative oversight.
Waller said he decided to have his horses run in the Moonee Valley Cup after watching Prince Of Penzance finish second last year before winning the Melbourne Cup.
Ben Melham picked up the winning ride on Grand Marshal after Joao Moreira didn’t come due to the typhoons in Hong Kong.
Melham asked Waller whether he could stay on Grand Marshal in the Melbourne Cup.
The win completed a big two days for Melham, having also won the Manikato Stakes on Rebel Dane on Friday night.
“He’s been running OK, but the conditions suited, as did the solid tempo,” he said.
The Waller pair and Excess Knowledge swept around the field with 400m to go and left pacesetters such as Gallante in their wake.
Grand Marshal, who was backed from $31 into $19, defeated Who Shot Thebarman (backed from $5 to $4.40) by three quarters of a length, with Pentathlon ($61) three and a half lengths away third.
Grand Marshal firmed from $51 to $17 with the TAB for the Melbourne Cup after his win, while Who Shot Thebarman is in from $26 to $21.
Gallante eased from $21 to $35 after he weakened to finish seventh.
CRYSTAL MILE: TEAM WILLIAMS PLOTS EMIRATES RAID FOR UNITED STATES
IT wasn’t the race Nick Williams and his father Lloyd wanted to win on Cox Plate day, but they were happy to see The United States bounce back from a minor setback to win the Group 2 Crystal Mile.
The race they were forced to settle for will be their stepping stone to the Group 1 Emirates Stakes (2000m) on the final day of Flemington’s Spring Carnival and then hopefully on to the Group 1 Hong Kong Cup (2000m) at Sha Tin in December.
Ridden by Kerrin McEvoy, the Robert Hickmott-trained The United States ($3.60 favourite) had his seven opponents covered a long way from home as he strolled to a one-length victory over Lidari ($26) and Ulmann ($8.50).
Nick Williams said the team at Mt Macedon had to reassess The United States after his minor setback and although they couldn’t have the stallion formerly trained by Aidan O’Brien ready for the Cox Plate, he was back without any issues.
“He missed about 10 days just out of the Turnbull Stakes and we had to reassess the plans and everyone at the farm did a terrific job,” Williams said.
“He didn’t have much wrong with him and probably had a bit of man flu, if the truth be known.”
It was the first time in 10 years the Williamses didn’t have a runner in the Cox Plate, but on the corresponding day last year, The United States won the Moonee Valley Cup and then went on to finish 14th in the Melbourne Cup.
“He has done a wonderful job and Kerrin rode him beautifully,” Williams said.
“And really, that win wasn’t much more than a track gallop.
“He really showed his class today and it was terrific.”
Williams said The United States was a future sire — being by what he described as the world’s best stallion, Galileo, and out of a Pivotal mare, Beauty Is Truth.
“You think I’m trying to sell him? Let me tell you right this second he is not for sale,” Williams said.
“He is going to win the Emirates yet and, if he is well, we might even think about taking him to Hong Kong.”
Williams praised Moonee Valley track manager Marty Synan, who presented the surface in such a good condition after two or three days of almost constant heavy weather.
- by Daryl Timms
Originally published as Moonee Valley Cup 2016: Grand Marshal delivers Ben Melham a memorable double
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