The Leg Up Melbourne Cup Preview 🐎🐎🏆🏆

Woodhead sits down with BJ ahead of todays big race and goes through the entire race to get his thoughts on each runner in this years Melbourne Cup.

There is plenty of speed engaged in this year’s version of the Melbourne Cup with many of the internationals rolling forward in their lead-up runs which should ensure a true staying test. As always, it’s one of the most difficult races to find the winner because we just have so many different form-lines and though the European form is always strong, you just can’t be sure which horses are thriving in Australia until race day. We’ve had back to back European three-year old’s win the race with Cross Counter (2019) and Rekindling (2018) which points us in the direction of Constantinople and Il Paradiso if you like the idea of a hat-trick of wins. The Caulfield Cup was for many years been the traditional lead-up race to the Melbourne Cup but, in recent years it hasn’t been the best form reference with the last horse to do the double being Ethereal (2001). Mere De Glace will have to break a long draught and if he can, will make Damian Lane the first rider to win the Grand Slam (Caulfield Cup, Cox Plate & Melbourne Cup) in a calendar year. There are plenty of chances this year but, I have narrowed it down to six;

18. SURPRISE BABY @ $15 – This horse is an outstanding stayer who rose into contention for this year’s Melbourne Cup when sharply up in distance from 2000m (BM84) to 3200m when he saluted impressively in the G2 Adelaide Cup at his sixth race start in his first preparation! He then carried 60kg over 2600m when luckless at Flemington behind Steel Prince and then was again unlucky when caught wide in the LR Ramsden Stakes under WFA conditions when narrowly defeated by the same horse. Great at WFA first-up behind Homesman in the G2 Feehan Stakes against good milers and then gained entry with an outstanding win in the G3 Bart Cummings when he had the best closing sectionals of the race. Awkward draw but 2016 Melbourne Cup winner Almandin won the Bart Cummings as his lead-up.

12. A PRINCE OF ARRAN @ $18 – You just cannot ignore this horses Australian form! Won the G3 Hotham on the Saturday to gain entry into last year’s Melbourne Cup and then ran terrific hitting the front 300m from home after a great ride from Cuzzy Bro (Michael Walker). In a post-race interview Walker said that if he didn’t run on Saturday, he would have won the Cup! This year he came through the G2 Herbert Power (as he did last year) finishing second in a great effort with 58kg behind The Chosen One and then proved too strong in the G3 Geelong Cup when he did all the work bringing the field up to the leader. He maps perfectly this year from a favourable draw and is sure to run well again.

13. RAYMOND TUSK @ $21 – He drew terribly in the Ebor Hcp and was ridden very quietly before weaving a passage (without much luck) as the unlucky runner to finish fourth behind Mustajeer (6th in the G1 Caulfield Cup). He looked to be very strong at the end of 2800m and with even luck, might have won! His only 3200m run he was nine weeks between runs and loomed to win behind Dee Ex Bee before knocking up in the final furlong to finish second. Meets Mustajeer 2.5kg better at the weights and Il Paradiso 6.5kg better through his Dee Ex Bee form-line. He’s the best of the internationals for me that we haven’t yet seen in Australia.

19. CONSTANTINOPLE @ $8.50 – Exact same European path as last year’s winner Cross Counter with a second in the G3 Gordon Stakes (Cross Counter won it) and then second in the G2 Great Voltigeur (Cross Counter also second). He was attacked a long way from home in the Gordon Stakes and did a terrific job to stick on as well as he did (raced greenly). Totally luckless at his only Australian start in the G1 Caulfield Cup (started $6.50F) when he lost his spo

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