Melbourne Cup 2016: Hopes of fifth Cup very much alive for owner Lloyd Williams

LLOYD Williams says he is “as happy as I can be’’ with his four-horse battalion as he on Tuesday attempts to become the most successful owner in Melbourne Cup history.

LLOYD Williams says he is “as happy as I can be’’ with his four-horse battalion as he on Tuesday attempts to become the most successful owner in Melbourne Cup history.

Yet again, it is Williams who stands as the greatest obstacle to overseas invaders.

CALL OF THE CARD: PUNTERS COME FOR JAMEKA

THE GHOST: FORTUNE FAVOURS THE BRAVE

Williams has four runners in a bid to win his fifth Cup, which would put him one ahead of 19th century figures John Tait and Etienne De Mestre and Malaysian businessman Dato Tan Chin Nam as the most dominant winner of the 155-year-old race.

Dato’s winners were all trained by his great mate, the late Bart Cummings.

Williams described Tuesday’s Cup as among the most open of recent years, saying “I wouldn’t take under 10/1 anything in the field.’’

But he also said his runners Bondi Beach, Almandin, Assign and Gallante would head to the gates without an excuse.

“You can never be confident in this race but we have all of our horses very well prepared. We couldn’t be happier with all of them,’’ he said.

Owner Lloyd Williams and son Nick Williams after watching Bondi Beach gallop at Werribee. Picture: Getty Images

Williams has three of the four stayers under his eye at Macedon Lodge north of Melbourne but Bondi Beach, who is trained by Irishman Aidan O’Brien, has been at the Werribee quarantine centre, where he has been thriving, according to Williams, who blamed himself for Bondi Beach’s 16th in last year’s Cup.

“He was a Northern Hemisphere three-year-old and it was my idea to bring him here,’’ he said. “It was probably the wrong idea.’’

A year on, Bondi Beach is among the best backed runners in a race in which punters yesterday rallied for the locals.

MELBOURNE CUP SWEEP GENERATOR

MELBOURNE CUP: YOUR EARLY FORM GUIDE

MATT STEWART, DANNY RUSSELL & GILBERT GARDINER DISCUSS THE MELBOURNE CUP CONTENDERS

Both Hartnell and Jameka had been unwanted in betting in recent days before a spirited rally at Monday’s Call Of The Card, in which Jameka attracted a huge bet of $80,000 at $9.

After steady support, Hartnell remained favourite at $6, with Jameka closing in at $8 and confidently tipped by her trainer Ciaron Maher, who said the prospect of a hard-run Melbourne Cup would suit the Caulfield Cup winner.

Pick a winner

CLICK HERE

Bondi Beach is the shortest of the Williams runners at $10, with Almandin at $12, Gallante at $41 and Assign at $61.

Williams said he could make a case that any of his four runners could join Just A Dash (1981), What A Nuisance (85), Efficient (2007) and Green Moon (12) to become his fifth Cup winner.

“I’m crossing my fingers for the next 24 hours because they are in perfect order,’’ he said.

$6.2m MELBOURNE CUP (3200m)

FLEMINGTON, RACE 7, 3PM

Track: Good 3

Rail: True

Forecast: High chance of showers in afternoon, 17C

1st race: 10.40am

Last of 10: 5.15pm

BETTING TOP 10

$5.50 HARTNELL

$7.50 Jameka

$8.50 Oceanographer

$10 Bondi Beach

$11 Almandin

$14 Big Orange

$15 Wicklow Brave

$16 Heartbreak City

$19 Exospheric

$21 Almoonqith

Market: TAB Fixed Odds

Bondi Beach works at Werribee on Monday afternoon. Picture: AAP