Rivals in awe of Anthony Van Dyck ahead of the Melbourne Cup

Former English Derby winner Anthony Van Dyck has received praise from rival horsemen.

Aidan O’Brien-trained Melbourne Cup favourites Tiger Moth and Anthony Van Dyck at Werribee Racecourse. Picture: Getty Images

Former English Derby winner Anthony Van Dyck is clearly the horse to beat in Tuesday’s Melbourne Cup, according to those finalising the preparations of fellow international raiders.

The five-year-old has beaten home superstar stayer Stradivarius twice this year in Europe and, after an outstanding second in the Caulfield Cup at its first run in Australia, is primed to perform at Flemington.

Hugh Bowman, who is seeking to win the Melbourne Cup for the first time, was delighted when Anthony Van Dyck drew gate 3 at a market-moving barrier draw on Saturday night.

The kind barrier should allow Bowman to position the Melbourne Cup top-weight favourably. Anthony Van Dyck now heads the market at $8 for Australia’s great race, with stablemate Tiger Moth and Cox Plate winner Sir Dragonet.

Horsham-trained stayer Surprise Baby, a dashing fifth in last year’s Melbourne Cup, is considered Australia’s best hope at $9 with the TAB.

Ridden by Craig Williams, who claimed the Melbourne Cup for the first time last year on Vow and Declare, the Paul Preusker-trained six-year-old jumps from barrier seven.

Tiger Moth will be steered by three-time Melbourne Cup winning jockey Kerrin McEvoy, who will need all his skill and all the luck of the Irish to help the hopeful overcome gate 23.

Champion Irish trainer Aidan O’Brien is seeking to win his first Cup with Anthony Van Dyck and Tiger Moth, both of whom have strong form in European staying races.

His son Joseph O’Brien, who trained Rekindling to win the 2017 edition, starts Master of Reality and Twilight Payment on Tuesday.

Stable foreman Mark Power said the two horses trained by Aidan O’Brien, who has spent more than a decade trying to win the Melbourne Cup, deserved top billing.

“You’d have to think that Anthony Van Dyck would have a great chance,” Power said.

“He’s the class horse in the race, even though it is a race with plenty of depth in it. Tiger Moth, being a northern hemisphere three-year-old, they’re two of them to fear.”

Dave Casey, who is looking after Stratum Albion for legendary trainer Willie Mullins, said the quality of Anthony Van Dyck was indisputable.

While the stallion’s successes over Stradivarius were over 2400m, which is short of the champion stayer’s best distance range, they confirmed Anthony Van Dyck had matured from his Derby success.

“Anthony Van Dyck deserves to be favourite. (He is an) English Derby winner and he ran so well in the Caulfield Cup,” Casey said.

Anthony Van Dyck, which will carry the number one saddlecloth, worked over 1500m on the sand track at Werribee on Sunday and will do the same on Monday with Bowman aboard.

TJ Comerford, an assistant trainer to Aidan O’Brien, was reluctant to split his two charges.

But he said had Anthony Van Dyck drawn where Tiger Moth has, his chances would have been nullified given the weight he is carrying.

Anthony Van Dyck has an impost of 58.5kg, which is 1.5kg more than last year’s winner Vow And Declare and the James Cummings-trained Avilius.

The top weight is conceding six kilograms to Tiger Moth, which has only had four starts including a second placing in the Irish Derby in June.

“Anthony Van Dyck is a class horse, but he has to give a lot of weight away to Tiger Moth,” Comerford said.

“But then Tiger Moth is drawn 23, so he’ll have to be able to negotiate from out there. I’m sure Kerrin McEvoy will have a plan. He’s fresh and he’s well and he’s fit.

“I just think they’re two good chances. I wouldn’t have one over the other, even if you give me a free bet there. I might struggle. Can I do a reverse forecast?”

McEvoy secured a start for German stayer Ashrun with a last-stride win in the Hotham Stakes at Flemington on Saturday and said the five-year-old deserved respect.

“He didn’t have a lot of favours in the run. You can’t be taking him lightly on Tuesday. He’ll stay the trip and has a bit of class about him,” he said.

Ashrun’s trainer Andreas Wohler, who saddled up Protectionist to win the 2014 Melbourne Cup, is the only European trainer to brave a stint in quarantine to attend this year’s race.

He inspected the five-year-old, which avoided a penalty for Saturday’s win and drops 8kg, on Sunday at Werribee and was pleased with the condition of Ashrun.

Ashrun will be ridden by Declan Bates from the extreme outside barrier of 24.

“We always thought that he might get into the Cup straight away, but unfortunately we didn’t, so we had to run yesterday. That worked out, luckily,” Wohler said.

“It’s a strange journey these days. I’m in awe of the Cup so much — we’ve had great success — and when you have a good runner, you want to be there.

“The way he ran yesterday, he should have a chance of being in very good money.”