Gai’s Cup dream the favoured way
It’s the most open Melbourne Cup field in years – current favourite Fiorente is the only runner under double figure odds ($8.50).
The six-year-old is likely to start favourite as trainer Gai Waterhouse’s army of supporters join followers of popular jockey Damien Oliver to support Fiorente in the Cup, which starts at 2.30pm SA time.
Waterhouse, however, has to overcome a big field of international raiders and the Lloyd Williams stable to win her first Melbourne Cup.
Williams owns six of the 24 Cup runners including last year’s winner Green Moon and is seekinhg his fifth Melbourne Cup.
Like Williams, Waterhouse has ventured to the northern hemisphere in her quest to win the famous race with Fiorente beating all but Green Moon a year ago at his first Australian start.
In addition to Green Moon, Williams has imports Sea Moon, Mourayan, Seville and Masked Marvel running in his navy blue colours along with the home-grown Fawkner, winner of the Caulfield Cup.
You might like
If one of them wins, Williams will be the outright leading owner of Cup winners with Dato Tan Chin Nam, who has also won four, missing out this year when Precedence failed by one place to make the field.
Waterhouse also has new acquisition Tres Blue running for her as she tries to win the race she has run second in three times with Te Akau Nick, runner-up to the first European winner Vintage Crop in 1993, three-year-old Nothin’ Leica Dane who backed up from his 1995 Victoria Derby win and Fiorente.
Although she has trained more than 100 Group One winners in a career spanning just over two decades, most of those have been in Sydney where her record is comparable to that of her late father, TJ Smith, including five winners of Australia’s second richest race, the Golden Slipper for two-year-olds.
Having relinquished the Sydney premiership to Chris Waller in recent years, Waterhouse will also be looking to erase some bad memories of the past few months when a public spat between her and long-time friend and client John Singleton spilled over into a high-profile inquiry.
Ironically, one of the stumbling blocks in her Cup quest could be the Singleton-owned and bred Dear Demi, last year’s VRC Oaks winner who has had a trouble free preparation and looms as one of the better colonial hopes.
Singleton may not be quite as wealthy as Williams and has never won a Melbourne Cup, but his passion is as strong.
Stay informed, daily
Dear Demi’s trainer Clarry Conners has four Golden Slippers but the Singleton-owned Zagalia’s fifth in Makybe Diva’s first Cup is the closest he has come to the prize.
“She is super,” Conners said. “She couldn’t be any better. She’s happy, I’m happy and Singo’s happy.”
Dear Demi finished second to English horse Side Glance in Saturday’s Mackinnon Stakes after running third in the Caulfield Cup.
InDaily’s selection for the race is Dandino, who drops two kilograms on his sdlashing second in the Caulfied Cup.
1. Dandino
2. Dear demi
3. Voleuse De Couers
4. Royal Empire
*The South Australian Jockey Club (SAJC) and the State Government will provide free tram travel for patrons who have pre-purchased their tickets to attend Morphettville Racecourse for Melbourne Cup Day.
There will be a nine race program at Morphettville on the day, with the first race commencing at 11.25am, and the 2013 Emirates Melbourne Cup shown live at 2.30pm.
For more information, go to www.sajc.com.au
Want to see more stories from InDaily SA in your Google search results?
- Click here to set InDaily SA as a preferred source.
- Tick the box next to "InDaily SA". That's it.
