Last word from Melbourne Cup connections
Hot favourite Incentivise appears to have a stranglehold on the Cup, but rival connections haven’t ruled themselves out.
Hot favourite Incentivise appears to have a stranglehold on this year’s Melbourne Cup but rival connections haven’t ruled themselves completely out of the equation.
Here’s what representatives of each runner had to say about their prospects in the gruelling two-mile test, as reported bypunters.com.au.
You can read a full Melbourne Cup preview here.
1 – TWILIGHT PAYMENT (2) 58kg
Trainer: Joseph O’Brien
Jockey: Jye McNeil
Nick Williams (owner): “Our horse and Spanish Mission are proven over the distance at the absolute top level in the world. We‘ll see on Tuesday whether Incentivise is up to that level at that trip. He’s a very happy horse and a very fit horse and it looks like he is going into the race in great order.”
2 – INCENTIVISE (16) 57kg
T: Peter Moody
J: Brett Prebble
Brett Prebble (jockey): “Incentivise is the best stayer I have ridden, for sure. He has amazing stamina and a high cruising speed. You don’t see that combination too often.”
3 – SPANISH MISSION (14) 57kg
T: Andrew Balding
J: Craig Williams
Craig Williams (jockey): “He’s really healthy, happy and been perfectly trained for the Melbourne Cup. He’s a really responsive horse, he’s a lovely horse for the jockey to ride and he’s really kind and soft.”
4 – VERRY ELLEEGANT (19) 57kg
T: Chris Waller
J: James McDonald
James McDonald (jockey): “People will say it’s such a big ask for her with the big weight but you never underestimate champions. Chris wouldn’t be running her if he thought she wasn’t up to the task.”
5 – EXPLOSIVE JACK (4) 54kg
T: Ciaron Maher & David Eustace
J: John Allen
Ciaron Maher (trainer): “I didn’t think Caulfield would be his track but he went well below par. His two runs leading into that I was very happy with. Rule a line through his last run, he’s shown me nothing to suggest why he ran that poorly.”
6 – THE CHOSEN ONE (5) 54kg
T: Murray Baker & Andrew Forsman
J: Damian Lane
Murray Baker (trainer): “We’re happy with our horse and he just overraced at Caulfield. He pulled hard and you can’t pull when you’re running over ground.”
7 – DELPHI (3) 53.5kg
T: Anthony & Sam Freedman
J: Damien Oliver
Anthony Freedman (trainer): “He’s going to have his work cut out to beat the favourite but I think he can improve if things go his way. We thought leading might have been the way to go in the Caulfield Cup but we’ll ride him with cover and let him finish it off.”
8 – OCEAN BILLY (13) 53.5kg
T: Chris Waller
J: Damien Thornton
Bill Pomare (owner/breeder): “Considering he had a few things against him in that race (Caulfield Cup), I thought he ran well. He can’t really handle rain-affected ground like that, he just isn’t able to get his big stride going and accelerate. Caulfield is also a really tight track, which doesn’t suit him very well either.”
9 – SELINO (24) 53.5kg
T: Chris Waller
J: Ron Stewart
Ron Stewart (jockey): “I was chasing hard for Selino and they were weighing up whether I ride Selino or Great House who won the Lexus and would have 50.5kg. At least I know Selino and he will 100 per cent run the two-mile trip out.”
10 – JOHNNY GET ANGRY (22) 53kg
T: Denis Pagan
J: Lachlan King
Denis Pagan (trainer): “I had every vet check done on him, he had the RV scans done, and there was nothing wrong with him. He galloped superbly, running his last 400m in 22.7 seconds – that’s not a bad effort at the end of 1800m. I didn’t expect to be pushing on to the Cup, but Damien (Oliver) got off him and said ’you’d be mad not to run him’.”
11 – KNIGHTS ORDER (9) 53kg
T: Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott
J: Daniel Stackhouse
Gai Waterhouse (trainer): “You can be assured he is one horse in the race who will actually run the 3200m right out.”
12 – PERSAN (11) 53kg
T: Ciaron Maher & David Eustace
J: Luke Currie
Ciaron Maher (trainer): “He’s been gelded and he’s arguably in better form than he was last year. We know he loves Flemington and the two miles. He’ll probably be more forward than he was last year.”
13 – CARIF (8) 52.5kg
T: Peter & Paul Snowden
J: Blaike McDougall
Peter Snowden (trainer): “His two-mile form is very good. He’s only been over it twice. He won the Sandown Cup and he ran a really good second in the Brisbane Cup. He’s got good stats over 2600m and further so he’s not without a little chance.”
14 – MASTER OF WINE (6) 52.5kg
T: Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes
J: Fred Kersley
Wayne Hawkes (trainer): “He was well beaten in the Caulfield Cup, but his start prior in The Bart Cummings suggests he is capable of an improved performance.”
15 – PONDUS (1) 52.5kg
T: Robert Hickmott
J: Rachel King
Rachel King (jockey): “Anything can happen in the Melbourne Cup and Pondus can be competitive, for sure. He stays well and is fairly adaptable, he has a good trainer and to be riding for Lloyd Williams in his prestigious colours in the Melbourne Cup is fantastic.”
16 – GRAND PROMENADE (21) 52kg
T: Ciaron Maher & David Eustace
J: Kerrin McEvoy
Ciaron Maher (trainer): “Loves Flemington, makes his own luck, goes forward and Kerrin McEvoy was keen to ride him. I don’t think there’s much between Grand Promenade and Floating Artist.”
17 – MIAMI BOUND (17) 52kg
T: Danny O’Brien
J: Patrick Moloney
Danny O’Brien (trainer): “She’s got the class coming out of two strong Group 1s in the autumn, the Tancred and the Sydney Cup, and she ran very very well in both of them.”
18 – PORT GUILLAUME (23) 52kg
T: Ben & JD Hayes
J: Harry Coffey
JD Hayes (trainer): “He came over and he was a little bit stiff and sore, he had a bit of bone bruising, so we did a really good pre-loading block, turned him out of work, brought him back in and did an extended build-up, so he’s got a very good foundation under his belt, and we’re sort of reaping the benefits of it now.”
19 – SHE’S IDEEL (20) 52kg
T: Bjorn Baker
J: Craig Newitt
Bjorn Baker (trainer): “I’m very happy with her. She seems to have got down here in good order. I thought her run in the Caulfield Cup was good. A good track will be good for her. Obviously it’s not a good gate, but it’s not the worst for her.”
21 – TRALEE ROSE (12) 51kg
T: Symon Wilde
J: Dean Holland
Symon Wilde (trainer): “Hindsight is always wonderful but we are really glad we ran at Geelong because we think it has got her absolutely spot on for Tuesday. We are participating in the greatest race in Australia, we have a fluker’s hope and we don’t have the pressure of expectation, so it is really good.”
22 – FLOATING ARTIST (10) 50kg
T: Ciaron Maher & David Eustace
J: Teo Nugent
Ciaron Maher (trainer): “He’s just had an ideal prep. His last two he’s been a little bit unlucky, he drops to a lovely weight and just timing wise I think the horse has come on. There should be some pace but I think he’ll be in the first part of the field.”
23 – GREAT HOUSE (7) 50kg
T: Chris Waller
J: Michael Dee
Jo Taylor (Chris Waller’s stable rep): “He’s been a nice sound horse and he’s been honest. Every time we’ve raised the bar he seems to have stepped up to the plate so why not keep doing that?”
24 – SIR LUCAN (18) 50kg
T: Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott
J: Glen Boss
Glen Boss (jockey): “If there was one down the bottom (of the weights) that might trouble them, it’s this horse. He’s either not going to cope with the day and not run well or he’s going to cope with the day and he’s going to run out of his skin.”
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