Melbourne Cup 2016: Jameka sensationally backed to win with one wager of $80,000 at $9

THE BIG BETS: JAMEKA has been sensationally backed to win the Melbourne Cup with a bet of $80,000 at $9 leaving bookmakers to face a six-figure liability.

PUNTERS have rallied to local mare Jameka as she tries to repel the raiders in Tuesday’s Melbourne Cup.

Bidding to become the first horse to win the VRC Oaks, Caulfield Cup and Melbourne Cup, Jameka is the only Australian-bred horse in the 24-strong field.

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And it appears Ciaron Maher’s four-year-old has no shortage of followers after she was sensationally backed ­on Monday to win the Cup.

­Wagers including a session-topping $80,000 at $9 left bookmakers facing a minimum $1 million liability after the Call of the Card.

Punters took the $9 before a succession of $30,000 and $10,000 wagers forced bookmakers to trim her price to $8.

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Topweight Big Orange, trying to become the first English-trained horse to win the Cup, was also heavily supported with a bet of $15,000 at $15.

Grand Marshal, Almandin, Almoonqith, Wicklow Brave, Exospheric and Bondi Beach were all strongly backed,

Supported to win several hundred thousand dollars, Lloyd Williams’ Almandin firmed from $15 to $13 as ­punters flocked to him.

Williams will become the most successful owner in Cup history if one of his four runners wins today.

The Melbourne businessman has won with Green Moon, Efficient, Just A Dash and What A Nuisance.

One punter had $12,000 each-way on Almandin for a potential windfall of $225,000.

Wicklow Brave firmed from $17 to $15 amid a blitz of support while Grand Marshal was the subject of a $20,000 bet at $51 to win $1 million.

Almoonqith was backed to win $500,000 at $31, while ­Exospheric attracted a $40,000 bet at $21.

There were two bets of $10,000 on Bondi Beach. Other large wagers included a $10,000 bet on Qewy at $31.

Outsider Sir John Hawkwood was backed to win $500,000. There was only mild interest in favourite Hartnell at $5.50. The largest bet was $4000.

CALL OF THE CARD BETS

BIG ORANGE — $15,000 at $15

OUR IVANHOWE — $500 eachway at $51

CURREN MIROTIC — $1000 at $41

BONDI BEACH — $10,000 (twice) at $10

EXOSPHERIC — $40,000 at $21

HARTNELL — $4000 at $5.50

WHO SHOT THEBARMAN — $1000 eachway at $41

WICKLOW BRAVE — $15,000 at $17

ALMOONQITH — $16,000 at $31

GALLANTE — $200 eachway at $51

GRAND MARSHAL — $4000 at $51

JAMEKA — $80,000, $30,000 and $10,000 (multiple times) at $9

HEARTBREAK CITY — $200 eachway at $17

SIR JOHN HAWKWOOD — $3000 at $151

EXCESS KNOWLEDGE — $100 eachway at $101

BEAUTIFUL ROMANCE — $1000 eachway at $101

ALMANDIN — $12,000 eachway at $15

ASSIGN — $500 eachway at $101

GREY LION — $5000 at $41

OCEANOGRAPHER — $5000 (twice) at $8.5

SECRET NUMBER — $1000 (multiple times) at $41

PENTHATHLON — $1000 eachway at $201

QEWY — $10,000 at $31

ROSE OF VIRGINIA — $200 eachway at $501

Nicholas Hall celebrates as Jameka wins the Caulfield Cup. Picture: Getty Images

DOUBTS TRIGGER A DRIFT

By Michael Manley

HARTNELL is expected to start favourite in the Melbourne Cup but punters are likely to be enticed by better odds than the $5.50 offered on Saturday.

TAB’S Nick Quinn predicted the favourite will drift out to $6 and may even start at $7.

“Hartnell deserves favouritism on the back of a terrific campaign including the outstanding victory in the Turnbull Stakes before finishing runner-up to Winx in the Cox Plate,” Quinn said.

“However, the niggling doubts about the John O’Shea-trained gelding running two miles have seen support arrive for the Caulfield Cup winner Jameka, Almandin, Big Orange and Wicklow Brave, illustrating the evenness of this year’s field.

“At one stage on Sunday, we were thinking Oceanographer might start favourite, but the money for him dried up.”

Oceanographer firmed into $5.00 after his Lexus win but yesterday had drifted back to $8.

Quinn said Oceanographer and Jameka had swapped positions in recent days and the Victorian mare was back to second favourite.

“Despite drawing what appears to be a favourable barrier of three, Jameka drifted from $7 to $8.50 but she has tightened into $7.50 in the past 24 hours,” he said.

“She’s a locally-trained mare who couldn’t have been more impressive winning the Caulfield Cup.

“As we get closer to the start of the race she could be challenging Hartnell for outright favouritism.”

Quinn said there had been solid support for three of the international gallopers, Big Orange ($16 into $13), Wicklow Brave ($21 into $14) and Secret Number ($35 into $31).

He said the biggest bet on Wicklow Brave had been $3600 win at $18 and there had been a nice long shot move for Secret Number. Almandin had been $17 into $11 in the past two days.

Quinn said the best-backed horse on the program was David Hayes’ two-year-old Madeenaty, who had been $2.00 into $1.65 in the Group 3 Ottawa Stakes.

“Madeenaty opened $2 and within minutes there was a $10,000 bet at $1.90,” he said.

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Bets are waged on the Melbourne Cup at the Call of the Card on Monday afternoon. Picture: Sarah Matray

BETS OUTSIDE CALL OF CARD

1) BIG ORANGE $16 - $14

($1500 and $1000 e/w @ $16/$4.75, $1000 and $500 @ $16, $800 and $500 @ $14)

4) BONDI BEACH $10 - $9 - $10

($1100, $1000, $600 and $500 @ $9, $500 @ $9.50, $500 @ $10)

6) HARTNELL $5 - $5.50

($3200 and $1000 [twice] @ $5)

7) WHO SHOT THEBARMAN $35 - $31

($1000 @ $35, $500 e/w @ $31/$8.50, $500 @ $31)

8) WICKLOW BRAVE $21 - $15

($500 @ $21, $500 @ $19, $3600, $700, $600 and $500 @ $18)

9) ALMOONQITH $26 - $19

($1000 [twice] and $500 @ $26, $1500 and $500 @ $19)

12) JAMEKA $7 - $8.50 - $8

($500 [thrice] @ $7, $500 @ $7.50, $3000, $2000 [twice], $1000 [twice], $800 and $500 [multiple] @ $8, $600 @ $8.50)

13) HEARTBREAK CITY $15 - $16

($1000 e/w @ $16/$4.75, $1000 @ $16)

17) ALMANDIN $16 - $17 - $13

($2000 and $1000 e/w @ $17/$5, $1000 @ $16, $900 and $500 [twice] @ $17, $500 @ $16, $1000 and $500 [twice] @ $15, $3000, $700 and $500 @ $13)

19) GREY LION $41 - $31

($500 @ $35, $1000 and $500 [multiple] @ $31)

20) OCEANOGRAPHER $5.50 - $8

($1000 and $500 [twice] @ $6, $1500 @ $6.50, $500 @ $7.50)

23) QEWY $31 - $21 - $23

($1000 @ $31, $1000 @ $21)

MARKET: TAB FIXED ODDS

KEY FIRMERS SINCE BARRIER DRAW

Big Orange $16-$14 ($18 pre draw)

Jameka $8.50-$7.50 ($8 post draw)

Secret Number $35-$31

Almandin $17-$11 ($16 post draw)

Wicklow Brave $21-$15

MARKET: TAB FIXED ODDS