Melbourne Cup - Tuesday, 4 November 2014 Race 7 Flemington Racecourse

1 x4240x20x1 ADMIRE RAKTI (JPN) Tomoyuki Umeda. Zac Purton. (8) 58.5kg. 4-1.

2 36x12x114x CAVALRYMAN (GB) Saeed Bin Suroor. Craig Williams. (3) 57kg. 25-1.

3 5316x7x212 FAWKNER Robert Hickmott. Nicholas Hall. (9) 57kg. 10-1.

4 2424x60x47 RED CADEAUX (GB) Ed Dunlop. Gerald Mosse. (15) 57kg. 16-1.

5 2x31x22114 PROTECTIONIST (GER) Andreas Wohler. Ryan Moore. (11) 56.5kg. 15-2.

6 00210x8x50 SEA MOON (GB) Robert Hickmott. Tommy Berry. (18) 56.5kg. 150-1.

7 0x10x641x0 SEISMOS (IRE) Marco Botti. Craig Newitt. (1) 56kg. 50-1.

8 1143×86117 JUNOOB (GB) Chris Waller. Hugh Bowman. (7) 55.5kg. 34-1.

9 2151x20x26 ROYAL DIAMOND (IRE) Johnny Murtagh. Steven Arnold. (6) 55.5kg. 50-1.

10 22x211212x GATEWOOD (GB) John Gosden. William Buick. (22) 55kg. 60-1.

11 41222x131x MUTUAL REGARD (IRE) Johnny Murtagh. Damien Oliver. (12) 55kg. 11-1.

12 2119×07110 WHO SHOT THEBARMAN (NZ) Chris Waller. Glen Boss. (13) 55kg. 20-1.

13 31338x1x24 WILLING FOE (USA) Saeed Bin Suroor James McDonald (17) 55kg. 25-1.

14 3192x3134x MY AMBIVALENT (IRE) Roger Varian. Andrea Atzeni. (4) 54.5kg. 60-1.

15 16x327x055 PRECEDENCE (NZ) Bart & James Cummings. Michael Rodd. (20) 54.5kg. 100-1.

16 x408821349 BRAMBLES (NZ) Peter G Moody. Luke Nolen. (21) 54kg. 50-1.

17 27259×5647 MR O’CEIRIN (NZ) Ciaron Maher. Mark Zahra. (19) 54kg. 200-1.

18 514x426x43 AU REVOIR (IRE) Andre Fabre Glyn Schofield. (23) 53.5kg. 50-1.

19 7190×54426 LIDARI (FR) Peter G Moody. Ben Melham. (10) 53.5kg. 66-1.

20 2262×05026 OPINION (IRE) Chris Waller. Tye Angland. (14) 53.5kg. 50-1.

21 x0313x7635 ARALDO (GB) Michael Moroney. Dwayne Dunn. (24) 53kg. 30-1.

22 x3013x1613 LUCIA VALENTINA (NZ) Kris Lees. Kerrin McEvoy. (2) 53kg. 13-2.

23 241×834390 UNCHAIN MY HEART David Hayes & Tom Dabernig. Dean Yendall. (5) 51.5kg. 250-1.

24 111×039231 SIGNOFF (IRE) Darren Weir. Joao Moreira. (16) 51kg. 11-2.

 

Form Guide & Odds

Signoff books Melbourne Cup run after Lexus Stakes win Video

+ Mugs Guide

 

Thanks Ron.

 

And the argument still rages. Ryan Moore or Joao Moreira as the best rider in the game.

 

Excuse me, but who in f§§k is Joao Moreira?

 

The world's best rider Swanny.

 

Have read-up on Moreira's CV, and his ríding experience seems to be mostly in Brazil, Singapore and Hong Kong, with frequent (?) visits to Australia. Since they are almost the same age, a comparison with Moore is feasible, Ryan Moore being just one year older. My main point has to be be, please compare the "big race" wins (around the globe) of Ryan Moore against those of Joao Moreira. In this respect only, I rest my case. However, would like to see the Brazilian ride in Europe on a regular basis, but at the moment this possibility seems to be very doubtful.

Here's a list of Ryan Moore's major wins:

United Kingdom Great Britain
1,000 Guineas – (1) – Homecoming Queen (2012)
Ascot Gold Cup - (1) - Estimate (2013)
Coronation Cup - (2) - Ask (2009), St Nicholas Abbey (2011)
Coronation Stakes - (1) - Rizeena (2014)
Derby Stakes - (2) - Workforce (2010), Ruler of the World (2013)
Dewhurst Stakes - (1) - Beethoven (2009)
Eclipse Stakes - (1) - Notnowcato (2007)
Falmouth Stakes - (1) - Integral (2014)
International Stakes - (1) - Notnowcato (2006)
King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes - (1) - Conduit (2009)
Oaks - (1) - Snow Fairy (2010)
Sun Chariot Stakes - (1) - Integral (2014)
Yorkshire Oaks - (1) - Tapestry (2014)

Australia Australia
Cox Plate - (1) - Adelaide (2014)

Canada Canada
Canadian International Stakes - (2) - Joshua Tree (2013), Hillstar (2014)

France France
Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud - (2) - Spanish Moon (2009), Novellist (2013)
Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe - (1) - Workforce (2010)
Prix du Cadran - (1) - High Jinx (2014)
Prix du Jockey-Club - (1) - The Grey Gatsby (2014)
Prix Marcel Boussac - (1) - Found (2014)
Prix Maurice de Gheest - (1) - King's Apostle (2009)
Prix Royal-Oak - (2) - Allegretto (2007), Ask (2009)

Germany Germany
Bayerisches Zuchtrennen - (1) - Linngari (2008)

Hong Kong Hong Kong
Hong Kong Cup - (1) - Snow Fairy (2010)
Queen Elizabeth II Cup - (1) - Presvis (2009)

Republic of Ireland Ireland
Irish Champion Stakes - (1) - The Grey Gatsby (2014)
Irish 1,000 Guineas - (1) - Marvellous (2014)
Irish Oaks - (1) - Snow Fairy (2010)
Matron Stakes - (1) - Echelon (2007)
Pretty Polly Stakes - (1) - Promising Lead (2008)
Tattersalls Gold Cup - (1) - So You Think (2011)

Italy Italy
Gran Criterium - (1) - Scintillo (2007)

Japan Japan
Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes - (1) - Asia Express (2013)
Japan Cup - (1) - Gentildonna (2013)
Queen Elizabeth II Commemorative Cup - (2) - Snow Fairy (2010, 2011)

United Arab Emirates United Arab Emirates
Dubai Duty Free Stakes - (1) - Presvis (2011)
Dubai Sheema Classic - (1) - Gentildonna (2014)
Jebel Hatta - (1) - Presvis (2010)

United States United States
Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf - (1) - Dank (2013)
Beverly D. Stakes - (2) - Dank (2013), Euro Charline (2014)
Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf - (2) - Wrote (2011), George Vancouver (2012)
Breeders' Cup Turf - (3) - Conduit (2008, 2009), Magician (2013)
Secretariat Stakes - (1) - Adelaide (2014)

Source : Wikipedia

 

No doubt Ryan has had some of the best yards in the UK to ride for Swanny, but you need to remember that a lot of those wins were on what are little more that cow paddocks, where they let them wander all over the place. Hopefully, one day he'll learn to keep a straight course. If he went and had a season or two in Asia, where they tend to want a gentleman to keep a horse in a straight line, he's improve out of sight.

 

Cow paddocks? Yes, well alright, but to ride for "some of the best yards in the UK", as you say Cyc, a guy has to earn it from the start. Will Moreira ride all the time in Australia now, or is he Hong Kong based? Obviously very talented, see he rode eight winners out of eight rides at the Singapore track once; that is a hell of a feat and goes one better than Frankie's magnificent seven at Ascot a few years back.

 

Gatewood @ 66s and Who Shot Thebarman @ 25s will carry my ew dough at 4.00 a.m on Tuesday. Hopefully will wake up to see it.

 

Lucia Valentina should run well off that low weight, whilst the form of Mutual Regard from the Ebor looks really solid (Pallasator ran well in top stayers events since) and Mutual Regard really does travel well into his races so he should have the speed to get in the right places at the right time.

 

Swanny, my above comments, as you probably know, were entirely tongue in cheek. There can be no doubt that Moore is a world class rider. And as such there will be those who will class him as the best. The whole "who's the best" thing started with Francesca Cumani and one of the Freedman brothers, and has now sort of grown a life of it's own. Personally, I don't think it's possible to make an assessment on the issue. It's a subjective thing.

When the subject cropped up, it set my feeble mind a racing, so as any man of this age does, I hit Google. Thank God for Google. When I typed in what I wanted, up came all American reviews. It was a real eye opener. The discussions at times became quite heated. The names that kept cropping up were Eddie Acaro, Laffit Pincay Jr and Shoemaker. They gave no cred to anyone outside the States. But there was a name mentioned, a man I'd never heard of, Russell Baze. I don't know if he's still riding, but earlier this year he pushed his career wins past 12,200. At the time he was in his mid fifties. He's a United States Racing Hall of Famer. I feel rather stupid not knowing the man. I just goes to show how insular a man can be. We have at this moment two men in Australia who've each won in excess of 100 G1 events. I suppose if we're to start throwing in names, these two deserve a shout as well.

Then there is the problem of just who is the most talented. Who is the best rider? In all seriousness, it's probably not the name rider who get all the accolades. These guys that rise to the top, are great athletes, but they were also the one's who are in the right places at the right time. A dazzling young apprentice who's in the eye of the major trainers has a massive advantage over a rider of equal talent, who just happens to ply his trade in an out of the way location. Once the ball starts rolling, the lucky ones are away and gone. The others, and I suspect there are heaps of them, just have to keep plodding along as best they can. As there are only so many positions available, and so many to take them, the odds of the name rider actually being the best, seem rather small. Then cast the net world wide, and the issue becomes a nonsense. But it's fun to chat about.

 

Ok folks, time to get off the fence. As usual, the race should be won by an import. But which? There are two camps here. The lot who believe that the best chances are those who've been here a year or two, and those who think the recent invaders hold the key. From memory, since the race opened up in the late 90s only about five or so recent arrivals have won the race. There have been more that 60 horses who've had a crack at the race without a lead in run in this country, none have been successful. A number have filled places, so maybe they can turn it around this time, but history is stacked against it. Obviously Admire Rackti looks the one to beat, but as a top weight and with the odds on offer, a lot of people will be looking elsewhere. I've boiled it down to three visitors who've all hinted at a bold showing tomorrow. The first of these is the Moore mount Protectionist who ran a very nice race in the Herbert Power where he came hard at the finish. He's about 7-1. The other two are 80-1 shots. The Botti trained Seismos, and the Fabre trained Au Revoir. I'm seriously tempted to take an each crack at the latter two. I love the price. I probably won't though.

Take your pick.

PROTECTIONIST. 7-1.

SEISMOS. 80-1. EW.

AU REVOIR. 80-1. EW.

 

I'm with you on Protectionist

 

I like the Murtagh pair and with the outsider of the pair being 50-1 I have to have a dabble.

 

Quick ante-post place bet on Oxford with Greenford Betquik for the 2015 renewal!

 

Nice one.

 

Oxford bet taken! Cyc, very interesting comments you make. I too had never heard of one Russell Blaze. American jockeys do look razzle-dazzle before the cameras, but in a driving finish, give me one of your great jocks like Scobie, and/or someone like Lester, Pat Eddery, or Johnny Murtagh any day. Just an opinion, can't be anything else.

And so, to the nut-grabbing for your great race. After all the above discussions on who's the best, and since I know even less about Australian racing than European (and that's hard to imagine), the obvious bet for me is e/w on each and a ridiculous R/F on, you guessed it, Protectionist & Signoff!!

Will set my alarm to watch the race!