Champion trainer Chris Waller talks up his five hopes in the Melbourne Cup

Chris Waller has two runners at the pointy end of Melbourne Cup betting but isn’t ruling out the chances of his remaining contenders.

Champion trainer Chris Waller has entrusted world class jockeys Joao Moreira and Zac Purton to navigate wide barriers on Melbourne Cup stars Buckaroo and Land Legend.

The 2022 Melbourne Cup winner has five in the field of 24 but four drawn barrier 17 or worse.

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Waller has binged replays of past Melbourne Cups in search of any tactical titbits.

“There’s a lot of pressure,” Waller said.

“They go quick and they tend to find their positions fairly well going into the first corner which is about 900m after the start.

“It’s not like athletics where we run in lanes but the riders have to be responsible to those riding against them and therefore you got to carefully find your spot.

“We’re mainly drawn on the outside quarter so we’ll have a lot of horses to our inside, but good jockeys, safe racing, it will be great to watch going into that first bend.”

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Moreira has barrier 21 to work with on Buckaroo, who charged from well back in the field in the Caulfield Cup to run second.

Buckaroo is a $7 equal favourite with Ladbrokes for the Melbourne Cup.

Despite a temptation for Buckaroo to settle closer on Tuesday, Waller wants the Group 1 Underwood Stakes winner in a comfortable rhythm.

Chris Waller at a Melbourne Cup media call at Flemington on Monday. Picture: Vince Caligiuri/Getty Images

“The best place to have a horse is where they’re comfortable,” Waller said.

“If you ride them out of their comfort zone you might feel good for the first half of the race but for the second half of the race, which counts, it can go against you.

“Buckaroo did get a long way back in the Caulfield Cup and it probably cost him running a lot closer to the eventual winner.

“In saying, that he was happy and he hit the line strongly, hopefully it will turn into a positive this Tuesday.”

Land Legend overraced behind the speed in the Caulfield Cup but stuck on to hold third.

A Bart Cummings-inspired regimen since the Caulfield Cup, a higher intensity block initially at Macedon Lodge before long, slower work at Flemington and a trip to Bendigo, has achieved the desired result to help Land Legend settle and take the freshness out of his legs.

Land Legend, with Purton aboard from barrier 18, will also race in earmuffs on Tuesday to help him settle in the Cup.

“It’s a pretty impressive sound hearing 24 horses thunder across the track but when you’re a horse that’s quite keen and ready to charge it can be overwhelming as well,” Waller said.

“We have done everything we can. It’s now up to Land Legend.”

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Manzoice drew best of the Waller quintet in barrier eight last Saturday, with Kovalica (17) and Valiant King (22) out with Land Legend and Buckaroo.

Kovalica has remained steady at $23 with Ladbrokes, while Manzoice ($71 to $101) and Valiant King ($81 to $101) have eased the past 36 hours.

“It’s good to have two right up in the market, in particular Buckaroo,” Waller said.

“Land Legend I think complements Buckaroo ... we’ve got a Victoria Derby winner (Manzoice), well down in the market, but he’s won here on the biggest stage two years ago.

“Kovalica is coming out of the right form races and Valiant King is a real genuine two-miler and that’s when the stamina counts.

“I’m confident of the five that Valiant King will probably stay the best.”

Originally published as Champion trainer Chris Waller talks up his five hopes in the Melbourne Cup