David Payne Can Win The Melbourne Cup
The race starts at 06H00 tomorrow (Tuesday) morning
Fifty years after he won South Africa’s most famous race, the Durban July, with the best horse he has ever trained, In Full Flight, great ex-pat South African trainer David Payne can win Australia’s most famous race, the Melbourne Cup, with the four-time Group 1-winning mare Montefilia (Kermadec) (Teofilio)).
In Full Flight was by New South Wales and ironically David now lives in the Australian state of New South Wales.
Heraldsun.com.au wrote the below article about David’s Melbourne Cup hopes.
Trainer David Payne has the right horse, the right barrier, the right conditions and the right attitude to be successful in the $8m Melbourne Cup (3200m) on Tuesday.
Payne, a fatalist and trainer of Group 1 star Montefilia, accepts things unfold – good or bad – for a reason.
“Everything is there, now it has just got to work out,” Payne said.
The mindset certainly helped Sydney trainer Payne stomach a sick beat in the Caulfield Cup last start.
Jockey Jason Collett left Montefilia with too much to do, having failed to react sooner to a mid-race slackening of the speed, and then “took the wrong option” in the straight.
Despite the circumstances Montefilia picked off 10 positions in the straight to run fourth, a length off winner Durston, with the fastest last 200m sectional in the Caulfield Cup.
The 11.80-second split ended up being the seventh quickest of the entire Caulfield meeting.
Her ability to sprint off a moderate tempo has sealed Payne’s belief in Montefilia being ripe for the 3200m Flemington acid test.
“She should get two miles, easily,” Payne said.
“You look at the Caulfield Cup run, she was stronger on the line than anything.
“To tell you the truth I was bleeding, I think he (Collett) took the wrong option coming in.
“He should’ve gone out but anyway, that’s racing … it is history now. We move on.”
Payne said Collett should have gone wide in the straight and allowed big-striding mare Montefilia to let down accordingly rather than try and weave a path through the field.
Montefilia has the best domestic form in the Cup bar none, having tackled Incentivise, Verry Elleegant, Think It Over, Anamoe and Cascadian in the past 12 months.
She ran fourth to Anamoe first-up in the Group 1 George Main Stakes then placed third in the Group 2 Hill Stakes, unable to pick up her feet on the “sticky” Randwick surface.
“She’s always raced against the best,” Payne said.
Her Cup trial last start has not been missed with Montefilia an $11 equal second favourite at TAB, with Realm Of Flowers and Without A Fight.
Deauville Legend is rock solid around the $3.50 mark.
But Payne is happy to chance the arm against the internationals.
“Deauville Legend is only a three-year-old and he’s got quite a bit of weight with 55kg,” Payne said.
“We might have the advantage age wise, I don’t know ability wise.
“We’re going in well and we haven’t seen him race, those English horses come and either do well or they flop, I hope it goes that way.”
Payne’s only other runner in the Cup previously was Victoria Derby-winner Ace High (20th) in 2018.
He considered tackling the race last year with Montefilia, after she ran fourth in the Caulfield Cup, before a change of heart.
“She was a little bit immature (last year),” Payne said.
“After the Caulfield Cup last year I said to the owners, ‘look, she’s a bit weak, let’s wait another year’. They said ‘fine, you’re in charge, do what you want to do’.
“We’ll reap the rewards now for our patience.”
Klawervlei Clinch Ready To Run Hattrick
When the Brett Crawford-trained Seeking The One won the Ready To Run Stakes at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth yesterday it was the third time in succession a Klawervlei Stud-bred horse had won this race and adding to the stud’s good weekend is that they had the second highest price lot at the Cape Sales Ready To Run and 2yo Unbroken Sale on Saturday.
Cape Racing provided a good report of Saturday’s victory by Seeking The One.
Report Start – Seeking the One overcame draw 13, usually a very tricky gate over 1400m on the short run in.
Jockey Louis Mxothwa rode an exemplary race, jesting afterwards, “I learnt from Anton” – a reference to riding great Anton Marcus who was renowned for his ability to get horses over from bad draws and secure a stalking position. Mxothwa gave his mount the thumbs up – “Seeking the One settled beautifully and quickened up nicely.”
The son of What a Winter, who is now a winner of two of five starts, tracked leader Royal Aussie for much of the contest before launching his bid in deep stretch. Whilst they were duking it out, Piroshka was also surging home and the three thoroughbreds flashed towards the wire together.
Trainer Brett Crawford described Seeking the One’s effort as “a very gutsy win” – indeed it took bravery to repel challenges coming from both sides in a driving finish. The declared starting price was 20/1 as punters, already put off by the wide gate, perhaps also underestimated the amount of progress the lightly campaigned Seeking the One was making under Crawford’s canny handling.
Piroshka (by Quasillo) received loads of market support into 22/10 and was given every chance by Aldo Domeyer, positioned in midfield then finishing strongly, only to be pipped at the post.
Market rival, Royal Aussie (by Royal Mo) also emerged with credit. He had struggled with colic and a virus in the build up to the race so to only get narrowly beat by a neck was highly credible. He is one to watch as the summer season unfolds.
Fourth place fell to outsider 66/1 Johnny Dogs two lengths back – the visiting Klaasen trained longshot outrunning his odds, without troubling the principal players. – Report End
The What A Winter colt Seeking The One is a half-brother to the Vaughan Marshall-trained Seeking The Stars, a Vaughan Marshall-trained Vercingetorix colt who won the Ready To Run in 2020.
Luyolo Mxothwa also rode Seeking The Stars to victory.
Last year the race was won by the Vaughan Marshall-trained Vercingetorix colt Fifty Fiver, who was ridden by Anton Marcus.
Seeking The One and Seeking The Stars are out of Klawervlei’s Count Dubois mare Schism, who won three races from 1400m to 2200m, including the Listed Winter Oaks over 2200m.
John Koster spoke highly of the mare, who will be going to Rafeef this season.
She has a Vercingetorix yearling full-brother to Seeking The Stars on the ground and another Vercingetorix full-brother to Seeking The Stars with Vaughan Marshall.
Klawervlei Stud are still the 100% owners of the latter, although Koster is considering putting together a syndicate.
Both Seeking The Stars and Seeking The One run in the orange and blue colours of Rikesh Sewgoolam.
He was also part-owner of Schism’s Marshall-trained William Longsword filly Shield Of Light, who ran one place.
Sewgoolam owns Seeking The Stars outright.
However, he owns Seeking The One in partnership with Messrs P Barrett, J Chowles, R Kieswetter, G S Knowles & Mesdames G MacGregor & B A Moody.
Fifty Fiver is out of a Trippi mare, Polar Trip, who currently has a William Longsword three-year-old filly racing as well as William Longsword two-year-old and yearling colts on the ground.
Polar Trip’s William Longsword filly is the former Paul Peter and now Brett Crawford-trained Ygritte, who has some useful maiden form. She finished a narrow second to subsequent Grade 1 Thekwini winner Canadian Summer in her second career start and in her second start in Cape Town she finished a 2,30 length fourth to her hard-knocking stablemate Red Sash (The United States) over 1200m at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth.
Vercingetorix Cracker Bought By Laurence Wernars
Klawervlei’s Vercingetorix filly out of the Captain Al speedster Mana Mou fetched R750,000 at the Cape Racing Sales Ready To Run and 2yo Unbroken Sale at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth on Saturday.
She was knocked down to Justin Vermaak on behalf of stalwart owner Laurence Wernars.
Mana Mou was a five-time winning Grade 3-winning sprinter who was a half-sister to Mythical Flight (Jet Master).
Mythical Flight won his first seven races, including the Grade 1 Cape Flying Championship and the Grade 1 Computaform Sprint.
In the latter race he recorded the fastest 1000m time in SA history, 54,96 seconds, and the only faster time since then, 54,55 seconds by Blizzard Belle at Fairview, was wind assisted.
The Vercingetorix filly sold on Saturday has the same cross, Vercingetorix X Captain Al, as the Klawervlei Stud-bred Grade 1-winning sprinter filly Vernichey.
Brett Crawford signed for the highest price lot on the sale, Lot 48, who went for R1,1 million.
However, this was actually a buy back as he himself consigned the horse under Crawford racing.
The colt is by Coolmore stallion No Nay Never, who has produced 40 stakes winners, including the current four-time Group 1 winner in the UK, Alcohol Free.
Crawford’s colt is out of an Australian-bred full-sister to three-times Grade 1-winning sprinter Alboran Sea.
Crawford must have believed he was to valuable to let go of for that price and bought him back.
John Koster of Klawervlei Stud praised Cape Racing Sales for a successful first Sale, which he described as a “solid” sale.
The overall figures are below:
CATALOGUED 109
OFFERED 103
SOLD 86
AGGREGATE 17215000
AVERAGE 200174
MEDIAN 120000
Bingwa Defends Charity Mile Title – Anfields Rocket Another Bargain Buy
The Colin and Lynne Stonebridge homebred Pathfork gelding Bingwa defended his title in the R800,000 Grade 2 Allied Steelrode Onamission Charity Mile on Saturday, winning by a comfortable 2,50 lengths under Gavin Lerena despite running off a merit rating seven points higher than last year and carrying 58kg as opposed to 54kg.
Bingwa was trained by Dorrie Sham last year and is now trained by Johan Janse van Vuuren, who had a fine day, sending out the exacta in the main race and a treble on the day.
The KZN hope After The Rain shortened significantly in the betting, not surprisingly considering he beat Bingwa over 1450m last time by 3,50 lengths and he was now 3kg better off. However, it was clear early in the race he had taken too strong a hold after being sent forward to overcome a wide draw and take up his favourite front-runnning role. Unlike last time he failed to find extra when challenged and faded to a 7,75 length tenth.
Bingwa found the perfect position from his pole position draw two horses back in the running on the rail.
The race panned out as well for him as it did last year, which enabled him to quicken at the top of the straight.
Once he has unwound into his huge stride there are not going to be many who are going to overtake him.
The Epworth Children’s Home were attached to Bingwa and received a cheque for R100,000.
Puerto Manzano, stablemate to the winner, loves the long straight of Turffontein Standside and from a draw of 16 found a one out position alongside the favourite Safe Passage in midfield before staying on in his usual resolute style for second.
Safe Passage sat on the rail behind his Mike de Kock-trained stablemate MK’s Pride, who was behind Bingwa.
Safe Passage quickened well and stayed on steadily for a 3,75 length third. He gave the winner 1,5kg and the race should have put him spot on for the Grade 1 Gauteng Summer Cup.
The Joe Soma-trained Grade 1 WSB SA Classic winner Red Saxon showed a welcome return to form by running on for a 4,25 length fourth, thus denying Janse van Vuuren three horses in tihe quartet as the latter’s filly Homely Girl was just half-a-length behind him in fifth.
Earlier the Grant Maroun-trained Anfields Rocket won the Grade 3 Allied Steelrode Graham Beck Stakes over 1400m at odds of 10/1 under Kaidan Brewer. The Klawervlei Stud-bred Coup De Grace gelding was bought for just R11,000 off the 2020 BSA July Online Auction.
Brewer dropped him out and found the rail behind the pack in the early stages.
He switched him one outward coming into the straight and Anfields Rocket ran on resolutely to strike the front still travelling well 250m out.
He kept going well to convert yard confidence, but the horse to also take out of the race is the half-a-length runner up Shoemaker. THe well regarded Gimmethegreenlight colt went into the race unbeaten in twoi starts and would have been a fitting winner being owned by the Allied Steelrode owners Arun Chadha and Warne Rippon.
Shoemaker jumped from the widest draw of all and was slow away.
He ran on strongly under the hands in the straight, but had to be snatched up and switched inward at the 300m mark when encountering a traffic problem.
He then ran on powerfully and was flying at the line.
Nathan Kotzen’s KZN rainder Royal Victory proved his two runner up finishes to the crack colt Cousin Casey in features at the end of last season were no fluke and he can develop into a classic contending three-year-old.
Union Square and Billy Bowlegs were fourth and fifth in a boil over, as three of the leaders in the market, Thunderstruck, Prophet and Laguna Verde, all finished downfield.
In the Grade 3 HSH Princess Charlene Starling Stakes over 1400m Miss Daisy, a Bush Hill Stud-bred Crusade filly, proved her class under Ryan Munger to deny the favourite Feather Boa by a neck. Outsiders Gimme A Shot, Berengaria and None Other were the next three. The second favourite Captain Peg lost her unbeaten record, finishing downfield.
Stuart Pettigrew trains Feather Boa and had consolation later when his Maine Chance Farm-bred Flower Alley filly Gilded Butterfly displayed a superb turn of foot to win the Grade 3 4Racing Yellowwood Handicap over 1800m by a cosy 1,75 lengths under Kabelo Matsunyane, despite being 1,5kg under sufferance.
Mike and Adam Azzie had a good day and their Drakenstein Stud-bred homebred The United States filly Sheela proved her class when carrying topweight and beating the boys in the Listed The Citizen Golden Loom Handicap over 1000m under S’Manga Khumalo.
The consistent former KZN poly campaigner Arumugam, a four-year-old Steven Chetty homebred gelding by Duke Of Marmalade, loved the galloping track and soft conditions in his first attempt at a staying trip in the Listed Gauteng Summer Cup November 26 Java Stakes over 2400m. He was 8,5kg under sufferance with the best weighted Light Of The Moon but still managed to just get up and win another stamina contest for the excellent trainer of stayers Weiho Marwing. Kaidan Brewer scored a feature double in the process.
Jim McGrath’s Melbourne Cup Preview
Australian racing expert Jim McGrath analyses the 2022 running of “the race that stops a nation”
Live on South Africa’s Racing Channels And Streaming Sites at 06H00
www.attheraces.com
By J A McGrath
There are fears that Flemington may be hit by the worse weather experienced on Melbourne Cup Day in nearly 50 years as punters and officials brace themselves for a deluge before the 162nd running of Australia’s iconic race – live on Sky Sports Racing at 4am Tuesday morning.
In 1976, the Cup start was delayed by 20 minutes because of a storm that hit the track. Dark clouds descended, racegoers ran for cover, and when the field set off commentators complained the jockeys’ silks, mud-caked and soaked, were almost indistinguishable.
Punters knew what to do, though. Van Der Hum, a noted mudlark from New Zealand, was backed into 9-2 favouritism and dashed clear in the straight to win by two lengths. As a measure of how heavy the ground was, the time taken was over 15 seconds slower than recorded the following year on a fast track.
It is important to check the exact going description before having a bet. The Flemington track manager says that a best-case scenario is a ‘Soft 7’ on Cup Day, but if there is heavy rain – as forecast – it is more likely to be a ‘Heavy 10.’
This year’s Lexus Melbourne Cup (04:00), run over 3200 metres (1m 7f 200y), is the weakest in terms of class in many years. Only 13 of the 24 declared are locally rated 110 or over, which is a far cry from the days when 110 would probably have struggled to get into the race.
Of course, the main reason is the stringent vet testing introduced following a spate of fatalities and injuries both in the Cup and on the training track. Derby winner Anthony Van Dyck having to be put down because of injuries sustained in the 2020 Cup was the last straw.
Such is the precarious social position racing is landed with, the showcase race (which still predominantly stops the nation) cannot afford another similar episode. Foreign runners are considered high-risk, but all runners are tested beforehand.
At the time of writing, Lunar Flare must pass another veterinary examination on raceday morning after lameness was detected, while Interpretation faces a mandatory once-over before taking his place too.
The German stayer Loft, James McDonald’s chosen mount, was ruled out by vets several days ago, while Caulfield Cup winner Durston, trained by Chris Waller, suffered a similar fate. Owner Lloyd Williams scratched Point Nepean because of an elevated temperature.
It is possible that only 21 runners will face the starter, and with no McDonald and no Waller, and only two Northern Hemisphere-trained runners, punters are searching for something to latch on to.
Newmarket trainer James Ferguson is pleased on all fronts with the favourite Deauville Legend, who is 3.70 with local bookmakers despite being heavily-backed at the revived ‘Call Of The Card’ in Melbourne on the eve of the race.
Ferguson is upbeat about the Great Voltigeur winner and happy to have secured triple Cup-winning jockey Kerrin McEvoy, as well as being drawn well in stall 9. It is no surprise he is favourite, especially as there are negatives about so many runners with the prospect of heavy ground.
Deauville Legend has improved all season and with a record of 3-7, he has a similar profile to McEvoy’s 2018 Cup winner Cross Counter, who was 4-7 before his win in the race. But the handicapper has woken up to European three-year-olds getting into the Cup lightly, and consequently Deauville Legend carries 4kg more (nearly 9lb) than the Godolphin winner.
It means he is weighted only 1lb less than fellow Newmarket raider Without A Fight, who is 7-17 and comes to this off the back of a gutsy second under 9st 12lb in a Listed contest at Newmarket over a mile and a half.
But there is legitimate concern about Without A Fight in the ground and his draw (18) is awkward. His partner William Buick has the added burden of knowing that the stewards are red-hot on foreign riders, as he found on Saturday when he picked up an eight-day careless riding ban.
So, this is not a straightforward Melbourne Cup. And tactics will play a crucial part in who wins, which leads me to touch on the role to be played by Serpentine, the shock winner of the 2020 Derby when making all on a deserted Epsom Downs during the Covid pandemic.
Serpentine has not won in 10 starts since his glory day but showed his first glimpse of form when second in the Archer Stakes (the old Lexus/Hotham) at Flemington on Saturday. He bowled along in front as usual and seemed to love it.
He has drawn stall 23 in the Cup, and jockey John Allen is expected to bounce him away smartly and cross to the inside rail, which will be of great assistance to Tim Clark on Knights Order (24) – drawn on his immediate outside – who should follow him over.
Knights Order, trained by Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott, won four races in Britain for William Jarvis prior to being shipped out to Sydney, where he has steadily established himself as a decent stayer.
His wins in the Brisbane Cup and Sydney Cup, both over two miles and with the latter run in heavy ground, are fine recommendation for this. And his recent third in the Caulfield Cup, in which use was made of his early speed, will have him well-seasoned for another crack at the two-mile trip.
Realm Of Flowers, who scrapes into the line-up with only 50kg (7st 12lb) on her back, is set to run a mighty race, particularly as she finished so strongly for third in the Metropolitan in Sydney last start. She stays and the light weight will be helpful in the conditions, which she will handle.
Gold Trip’s second in the Caulfield Cup was very good off a slow pace, while his Cox Plate run should be forgotten as he never saw daylight in the second half of the race. Duais finds a race that will suit her but has plenty of weight, and the same can be said of another talented mare in Montefilia, who is nevertheless in good form.
Finally, a word about the Epsom Derby runner-up Hoo Ya Mal, who also won the March Stakes at Goodwood. His eighth in the Doncaster St Leger might have been due to a lack of stamina rather than the ground.
I see this year’s Melbourne Cup going to trainers Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott, with a horse who started his career in Britain but has since thrived in Australian conditions. I refer to Knights Order, who will start widest from gate 24, a feat accomplished by Rain Lover (1968) and Gala Supreme (1973).
He is not likely to be as good as either of those. But he might not have to be.
JIM’S MELBOURNE CUP 1-2-3-4
KNIGHTS ORDER
Realm Of Flowers
Deauville Legend
Lunar Flare
Matsunyane Hopes For Vaal Winners To Help Pay Fine
David Mollett
It was a day of mixed fortunes for Kabelo Matsunyane at Turffontein on Saturday with the young jockey winning the grade 3 Yellowwood Handicap on Gilded Butterfly but being slapped with a R7,000 fine for excessive use of the whip on Raiseahallelujah in the Java Stakes.
Still, it has been an excellent first three months of the season for the youngster who rode his first winner at the Vaal in June 2018. He has ridden 42 winners this term and is in fourth place in the national jockeys’ log. He led the table at the end of the first month of the new season.
Matsunyane has six booked rides at the Vaal on Tuesday and a couple of winners would pay off Saturday’s fine. He has good chances on Ready To Fly (third race) and Gallic Tribe in the sixth.
Richard Fourie has been the pilot of Ready To Fly in her five starts, but he’s not riding at the meeting so trainer Mike de Kock has given Matsunyane the ride on the R240,000 daughter of Gimmethegreenlight.
Ready To Fly raced in stronger company last time in a race won by Captain Peg. The three-year-old is back in calmer waters this time and may have most to fear from Gilda Gray, the mount of S’manga Khumalo.
Muzi Yeni also has a chance in getting in on the action in the closing stages as he rides Light Of Day who turned in a good post-maiden effort when fourth behind Fast Love.
Brett Crawford’s son, James, has done well with the stable’s raiding party on the highveld and Matsunyane was in the saddle when five-year-old Gallic Tribe scored at Turffontein. While the gelding got a six-point penalty for that win he has a bright chance of notching his fourth career win in Tuesday’s sixth race.
Gallic Tribe faces 10 rivals and they include Sean Tarry’s useful five-year-old, Paisley Park, who returns to the fray after a 27-week absence.
Punters need to check the market which will reveal if the son of Gimmethegreenlight is expected to make a winning return — he has been priced up at 13-2 in early betting.
Johan Janse van Vuuren had a day to remember at Turffontein on Saturday and he runs Tuscan Winter and Fast Love in this 1,400m contest.
Tuscan Winter is reunited with Gavin Lerena and the five-year-old’s fifth behind Anfield’s Rocket doesn’t seem bad form in view of that winners success in the grade 3 Graham Beck Stakes last Saturday.
Lerena will be on a high after his Charity Mile win on Bingwa and his mount, Thunderstone, has been priced up favourite for the seventh race.
Trained by Roy Magner, Thunderstone reverts to novice company after racing in feature races and the son of Soft Falling Rain may prove too smart for Drop Of Time and recent maiden winner, Whatyouwaitingfor.
Though Matsunyane has an each-way chance on DJ Junior in the opening event, it is a worry that the four-year-old has not raced since March. In the circumstances, it may be safer to row in with De Kock’s runner, World’s Best, who made a pleasing debut at Turffontein a month ago.
SELECTIONS
1st Race: (16) World’s Best (15) US Open (1) DJ Junior (13) Celtic Rush
2nd Race: (5) On The Guest List (4) Rosy Lemon (8) Cantfoolme (1) Brazilian Storm
3rd Race: (1) Ready To Fly (6) Gilda Gray (3) Light Of Day (4) Kayla’s Dream
4th Race: (1) Mike’s Chick (6) Lilliana (5) Magical Flight (4) Strike A Match
5th Race: (10) Alfaatik (7) The Brief (8) Fifth Of July (13) Banha Bridge
6th Race: (5) Gallic Tribe (1) Paisley Park (6) Tuscan Winter (2) Whafeef
7th Race: (1) Thunderstone (5) Drop Of Time (3) Whatyouwaitingfor (7) Guapo
8th Race: (2) Esqueville (3) South Boy (1) Twice The Storm (5) Corvette Captain
Aidan O’Brien Stable Tour Ahead Of Breeders Cup
The master of Ballydoyle is a 13-times Breeders’ Cup winner and sends a strong squad of seven to Kentucky.
www.attheraces.com
Aidan O’Brien has always tried to bring a strong team to the Breeders’ Cup and has been rewarded with 13 victories with the likes of High Chaparral, St Nicholas Abbey and Found all triumphing. O’Brien will be hopeful of adding to that tally in 2022 and he spoke with Kevin Blake of attheraces.com to discuss their prospects.
BROOME
6 b h Australia – Sweepstake
Rated 118, he won the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud last year and the Hardwicke Stakes at Royal Ascot this year.
“We were happy with how he came out of his last race, and he seems to be in great form. The Breeders’ Cup Turf is his target. We think the trip, track and ground will all suit him well. He doesn’t always help himself by starting a bit slow from the gates. We get him loaded late as he can get a bit anxious in them. While his last two wins came when he made the running, he ran really well in this race last year when coming from a fair way back, so I think he is versatile enough to cope with whatever position his start leaves him. It will be easier for him if he jumps on decent terms, it won’t be the end of the world if he doesn’t.”
MEDITATE
2 bg f No Nay Never – Pembina
Rated 112, she has won the Fillies Sprint Stakes at Naas, the Albany Stakes at Royal Ascot and the Debutante Stakes at the Curragh as well as finishing second in the Moyglare Stud Stakes and the Cheveley Park Stakes.
“We were very happy with her run in the Cheveley Park Stakes. In a perfect world we would have had more time to sharpen her up for the drop in trip at Newmarket after what was a big run over seven furlongs on soft ground in the Moyglare Stud Stakes, but there was only 13 days between them, so we had to take the chance and see how she got on. Considering that, I thought she ran a great race to finish a strong second. We are obviously going up in trip to a mile for the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf, but we think she is well equipped for it. She’s usually sharp from the gates and is a strong traveller, which is always a help in America. We don’t think going around a bend will be a disadvantage to her either. We had considered putting cheekpieces on her as she can be a bit lazy in front, but Ryan felt she should be plenty sharp enough over this longer trip and wouldn’t need them, so we’ll leave them off.”
ORDER OF AUSTRALIA
5 b h Australia – Senta’s Dream
Rated 118, he won the Breeders’ Cup Mile in 2020 and has since won two renewals of the Minstrel Stakes at the Curragh.
“The Breeders’ Cup Mile is his target. He ran very well to finish third in the Coolmore Turf Mile Stakes over this course and distance last time. It didn’t go ideally for him as the horse beside him in the stalls was doing a bit of messing. He took his eye off the gates when they were opening and was just a length or so slow away which put him further back than ideal. We feel that he’s been building from run-to-run and seems ready to run a big one this weekend.”
STONE AGE
3 b c Galileo – Bonanza Creek
Rated 116, he won the Derby Trial Stakes at Leopardstown in May and went on to finish a close third in the Belmont Derby Invitational in July.
“He runs in the Breeders’ Cup Turf, and it will be his first try at a mile-and-a-half since the Derby. We feel that an evenly-run race around bends over that trip will suit him well. He wasn’t drawn all that well over shorter trips in his two previous runs in America and just got caught a bit wide both times as a result. This race should suit him better. His last two runs were in the very best of company in the Irish Champion Stakes and the Champion Stakes at Ascot and he wasn’t beaten far in either of them, so he isn’t one to be underestimating.”
TOY
3 ch f Galileo – You’resothrilling
Rated 108, she finished second in the Irish Oaks and won a Listed race at Naas in October.
“Toy runs in the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf. She ran a fantastic race to finish second in the Irish Oaks and we sent her to Germany for a Group 1 after that, but the race went wrong for her. She pulled off two front shoes, we think early in the race, and ran off the first bend as a result. She came home sore from that, and we had to go easy on her for a little bit. We felt that if she was going to make it to the Breeders’ Cup that she’d need to have a run prior to then, so she was only just ready to run at Naas last time. Considering her prep, we were delighted to see her win and she has made great progress at home since then. We think she’s improved a lot. I could see her running a big race.”
TUESDAY
3 b f Galileo – Lillie Langtry
Rated 118, she won the Oaks at Epsom and went on to finish second in the Yorkshire Oaks at York.
“We gave Tuesday a bit of a break after the Irish Derby. As everyone knows she is a young filly, a very late foal, and we didn’t want to overdo it with her. Since she’s come back from that break, we feel she has been building from run-to-run and she’s ready to run in the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf. I thought she ran very well in the Prix de l’Opera at ParisLongchamp last time as Wayne had to go forward on her from a poor draw and the ground was probably softer than ideal, so I’d say she was paying the price for those two things inside the 100 yards. Her recent work has been very good and I could see her running a big race.”
VICTORIA ROAD
2 b c Saxon Warrior – Tickled Pink
Rated 106, he has won his last three starts including a Listed race at Deauville and a Group 3 at Chantilly.
“He’s an intended runner in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf. He seems to be improving all the time and did it well when winning a Group 3 at Chantilly last time. He has been in great order since then and we’ve had this race in mind for him. He travels well and is happy to take his time in his races, so he should be fine whatever way this race pans out for him.”
Today’s Question
Which trainer has won the most Melbourne Cups?
For the answer to this question and other Melbourne Cup facts and figures scroll to the bottom of the newsletter.
Vaal Fields
Today’s Question Answer
Trainer Bart Cummings has won 12 Melbourne Cups.
Below are many other facts and figures about the great race.
2022 Melbourne Cup: The historical facts and figures
Clinton Payne (punters.co,.au)
Historical facts and figures are a popular way for people to pick their Melbourne Cup selection so here’s your history lesson ahead of Tuesday’s great race.
Here is a quick look at historical facts, since Archer won the first Melbourne Cup back in 1861, 161 years ago.
The first Melbourne Cup was run on a Thursday, November 7, it was first run on a Tuesday in 1875.
The race has been postponed twice, both times due to rain, in 1870 and again in 1916.
During the War years – 1942 to 1944, the race was run on a Saturday, the second day of a two-day Cup carnival.
Multiple Melbourne Cup winners
Champion mare Makybe Diva is the only horse to have won three Melbourne Cups (2003, 2004, 2005).
Four horses have won the race twice – Archer (1861, 1862), Peter Pan (1932, 1934) Rain Lover (1968, 1969) and Think Big (1974, 1975).
Most Melbourne Cup Wins – Trainer
12 wins – Bart Cummings (1965, 1966, 1967, 1974, 1975, 1977, 1979, 1990, 1991, 1996, 1999, 2008)
Current trainers – 2 wins for Joseph O’Brien (2017 and 2020) and Robert Hickmott (2012 and 2016).
Mike Moroney (2000), Gai Waterhouse (2013), Danny O’Brien (2019) and Chris Waller (2021) have won the Melbourne Cup once.
The master Bart Cummings with his 12 Melbourne Cups (Image: Nicole Garmston)
Most Melbourne Cup Wins – Jockey
Bobbie Lewis (1902, 1915, 1919, 1927) and Harry White (1974, 1975, 1978, 1979) hold the record with four wins each.
Current riders – 3 wins for Kerrin McEvoy (2000, 2016, 2018) and Damien Oliver (1995, 2002, 2013).
Blake Shinn (2008), Brett Prebble (2012), Craig Williams (2019), Jye McNeil (2020) and James McDonald (2021) have won the race once.
Most Melbourne Cup Wins – Owner
Lloyd Williams has won the Melbourne Cup on seven occasions (1981, 1985, 2007, 2012, 2016, 2017, 2020)
Melbourne Cup Female Jockey Facts
Michelle Payne is the only female jockey to win the Melbourne Cup – Prince Of Penzance in 2015.
Jamie Kah and Rachel King have ridden in the Melbourne Cup once. Kah finished third on Prince Of Arran in 2020 and last year King rode Pondus which finished 17th.
NZ jockey Maree Lyndon was the first female to ride in the Melbourne Cup aboard the unplaced Argonaut Style in 1987.
The first Australian female jockey to ride in the Melbourne Cup was Claire Lindop aboard the unplaced Debben in 2003.
Melbourne Cup Barrier Statistics
Barrier 11 has been the most successful stall producing eight winners; most recently launching Americain to victory in 2010. Barrier 5 has won the race on seven occasions.
The last time the same Melbourne Cup barrier produced back-to-back winners was in 2012 and 2013 when Green Moon and Fiorente won from barrier 5.
Verry Elleegant’s winning barrier last year was 15.
The last Melbourne Cup winner to salute from the outside barrier was Brew (2000).
Barrier 18 is the only gate never to produce a winner since barriers were first used in 1924 while barrier 7 has not tasted success since Blackwood won the race in 1924 and barrier 12 is on a 73-year run of outs since Foxami won from that draw in 1949.
Since 1982, 40 years ago – barriers 6, 7, 12, 18 and 24 have not produced a Melbourne Cup winner.
Melbourne Cup Saddlecloth Statistics
Number 4 is the most successful Melbourne Cup saddlecloth boasting 12 wins after Verry Elleegant carried that number to victory last year.
Number 12 has produced 11 winners, Makybe Diva the last in 2003 while Number 1 has 10 wins and Number 6 has won the race nine times – Twilight Payment carried No. 6 to victory in 2020.
Makybe Diva in 2005 wore No.1. The previous topweight to win the race prior to that was Rising Fast in 1954.
The unluckiest Melbourne Cup saddlecloth is No. 18 – last carried to victory by Peter Pan in 1932.
Melbourne Cup Winner Stats – Age
Four and five-year-old horses have the best record in the Melbourne Cup. 4YOs have won 46 times and 5YOs have won 44 times.
Recent times have distorted the age history of the Melbourne Cup due to the Northern Hemisphere-bred runners having their age rounded up when racing in Australia.
Rekindling and Cross Counter won the race in 2017 and 2018 respectively. Both were Northern Hemisphere three-year-olds at the time but in racing records it shows them as being four-year-olds when they won the Melbourne Cup.
Only three eight-year-olds have won the Melbourne Cup: Catalogue (1938), Toryboy (1865) and Twilight Payment (2020) who won as a European 7YO racing as an 8YO in Australia.
Six-year-olds have performed well in the race in recent years winning three of the past nine renewals, including last year when Verry Elleegant won the race.
Melbourne Cup Winner Stats – Sex
Stallions (entires) hold the record with 72 wins in the race.
Geldings have won the race on 54 occasions.
Just 12 mares have won the Melbourne Cup a collective 14 times – Verry Elleegant was the last mare to win the race last year while Makybe Diva is the most famous, winning the race in 2003, 2004 and 2005.
Colour of the winning horse
The colour bay is a clear standout having produced 71 Melbourne Cup winners, almost double the next best, brown with 38 winners including Verry Elleegant last year.
Chestnuts have won 35 Melbourne Cups, greys have saluted six times while black horses have claimed five victories.
Number of words in winner’s name
One-word names have won the most Melbourne Cups with Rekindling in 2017 the last of 88 winners.
Sixty-two horses have won the race with two-word names including last year’s winner Verry Elleegant and seven winners have had three-word names, Vow And Declare was the last in 2019.
Melbourne Cup Weight Facts
Since the year 2000, the most successful Melbourne Cup winning weights have been 51 to 51.5kg, 52 to 52.5kg and 54 to 54.5kg. Each weight bracket has won four Melbourne Cups since 2000.
55 to 55.5 and 56 to 56.5kg have won three Melbourne Cups each since 2000.
Heaviest weight carried to victory since 2000 was Makybe Diva in 2005. She carried 58kg to victory that year while Verry Elleegant won the race last year carrying 57kg.
The lightest weight carried to victory since 2000 was Brew in 2000. He carried 49kg.
Origin of Melbourne Cup winners since 2000
Since 2000, 14 of the Melbourne Cup winners have been bred to Northern Hemisphere time and eight are Southern Hemisphere bred.
Breaking the last 21 winners down further – Five were UK bred, five New Zealand bred, three Australian and three Irish bred and two US and two German bred. The other two winners were French, and Japanese bred.
Thirteen of the past 21 winners were trained in Australia, eight were trained in the Northern Hemisphere (four in Ireland, two in France, one in the UK, Germany and Japan) and the other Melbourne Cup winner in the past 21 years was trained in New Zealand.
Melbourne Cup winning silks
White is the most successful Melbourne Cup colour, in the silks of 74 winning jockeys.
Blue has been in the colours of 60 Melbourne Cup winners, narrowly ahead of black with 57 wins.
Red has returned to the winner’s stall on 48 occasions, yellow or gold 45 times, with green winning 23 Melbourne Cups.
The fastest/slowest times on record
Kingston Rule holds the record for the fastest win in a Melbourne Cup when stopping the clock at 3.16.30 in 1990.
In recent years three horses have broken into the 3.17s – Protectionist (3.17.71 – 2014), Twilight Payment (3.17.34 – 2020) and Verry Elleegant (3.17.43 – 2021).
The slowest time recorded since the introduction of barrier stalls was Van Der Hum in 1974 when the Cup was run in horrendous wet conditions. The Kiwi clocked 3.34.10.
The slowest winning time in a Melbourne Cup is shared by Archer in the first Melbourne Cup in 1861 and Lantern in 1864. Both horses ran the distance in 3.52.0.
Melbourne Cup crowds
The biggest crowd ever recorded at Flemington on Melbourne Cup Day saw 122,736 people witness Makybe Diva win the first of her three Cups in 2003.
In 2021 just 10,000 saw Verry Elleegant win the day due to Covid-19 crowd restrictions after the general public and owners were not allowed on course in 2020 due to the pandemic.
in 2019 the official crowd was only 81,408 were on course to watch Vow And Declare win the race, the lowest crowd on Melbourne Cup Day since 1995.
Caulfield Cup – Melbourne Cup Double
11 Melbourne Cup winners won the Caulfield Cup in the lead-up – the most recent being Ethereal in 2001.
Might and Power achieved the feat in 1997, Doriemus in 1995, Let’s Elope in 1991, Gurner’s Lane in 1982, Galilee in 1966 and Rising Fast in 1954.
Best lead-up form races since 2000
The Caulfield Cup has been used successfully as the lead-up race on five occasions, the latest being in 2019 with Vow And Declare.
Five of the past 21 Melbourne Cup winners have come through the Cox Plate, Verry Elleegant was the last to do it in 2021.
The best Northern Hemisphere lead-up race has proven to be the Irish St Leger which has produced two Melbourne Cup winners – Cross Current in 2018 and Twilight Payment in 2020.
Melbourne Cup betting
Melbourne Cup favourites have won 32 times – Fiorente, a $7 chance in 2013, was the last favourite to salute for the punters.
Phar Lap was the shortest priced favourite to win when $1.75 in 1930, followed by Revenue ($2.75 in 1901) and Archer ($3 in 1862).
Only four $101 roughies have won the Melbourne Cup – The Pearl in 1871, Wotan in 1936, Old Rowley in 1940 and Prince Of Penzance the most recent in 2015.
The average winning price since 2000 is $17.30.
Winning margins
Archer (1862) and Rain Lover (1968) share the record having won the race by eight lengths.
Since 2000, the biggest winning margin has been four lengths – achieved by Protectionist in 2014 and Verry Elleegant last year.
The shortest winning margin since 2000 has been a nose, Viewed (2008) and Dunaden (2011) both won by the barest margin recordable.
The Melbourne Cup curse
The number 18 is something you don’t want near your horse, saddlecloth, or barrier.
Barrier 18 has never produced a Melbourne Cup winner while the number 18 has only been carried to victory once, in 1932, 90 years ago on the great Peter Pan.
