Melbourne Cup day crowd builds during race four. Picture: Mark Stewart Source: News Corp Australia
JAPANESE visitor and Caulfield Cup winner Admire Rakti remains favourite for this afternoon’s $6m Melbourne Cup.
The tough stayer has remained steady around that price after drifting yesterday at the traditional Call of the Card where bookmakers and betting agencies were prepared to let punters on for better odds than those quoted after the Cup field was declared on Saturday night. Early markets had the favourite as short as $4.50.
The buzz is continuing to build for today’s race with officials tipping that more than 100,000 people will pack Flemington racecourse to watch the race that stops a nation.
There has already been plenty of drama before the race jumps at 3pm after the field was reduced to 22 after Sea Moon andCavalryman were both scratched.
Connections of the remaining 22 horses have started to arrive with British trainer Roger Varian, who will saddle up My Ambivalent, arriving a short time ago in a morning suit.
The day officially started at 10.30pm with a two-year-old event who by Antelucan at $11 and there were already plenty of jockeys without mounts in that race milling about in the mounting yard.
Veteran hoop Jim Cassidy was in deep discussion with man of the moment Chris Waller moments before steering his horse Grand Marshal to a win in the Visit Victoria Plate over 2800 metres.
Waller is chasing his first Cup and will saddle up three chances in today’s big race in The Metropolitan winner Junoob ($26), Auckland Cup winner Who shot the barman ($13) and Opinion ($61).
Former Test cricketer turned horse enthusiast Simon O’Donnell has just arrived and is hoping for success with the four horses he manages Lidari ($61), Brambles ($71), Au Revoir ($81) and Gatewood ($61).
“Our work’s been done and we enjoy the journey from here,’’ O’Donnell said.
“This is what we work for to be here today and hopefully competitive but you don’t know if you’re going to be competitive until the race is run.
“All our horses are well, everyone is enjoying the experience, that’s all we can ask so far and we hole like hell the four of them run out of their skin come three o clock.’’
source: theaustralian.com.au
STUDIO 3 NEWCASTLE AUSTRALIA 