In the Melbourne Cup, I'm going slightly left field and it is one that only caught my eye late- but Beautiful Romance 66/1 just looked a major e/w price with the 6 places afforded by Skybet.
In truth, she hasn't really lived up to her promise in the UK yet, but it is the trip that intrigues me most about this one. She goes from gate 1, and runs off 8 stone 4. It's clear that Godolphin have really gone after the race this year but she is the one that flies in under the radar.
Have a flick through the dams form- she really did look a stout stayer despite some form figures suggesting otherwise (often ran on too late) and I suspect that when Beautiful Romance has been done for speed in some good races, she might excel from a really handy position and race weight this morning. It is an educated leap of faith in the trip but she has all sorts of untapped potential here.
She finished 3rd in the Champions Day 12f Group 1 fillies event in 2015 with the comments as follows: "Settled in midfield, shaken up and progress 3f out, kept on to win battle for 3rd final furlong but never able to threaten leading pair". Bin Suroor
Others that look well berthed are the very underrated Gallante 66/1 from a nice draw in barrier 5 who stays really well and the race may end up panning out for him if Big Orange goes too hard in making this a test- there is plenty of speed and he'd be handy sat 3rd or 4th you know. The trainer reckons he is in great nick and a week or so ago said his prep race was just all wrong for him and that he'd be very disappointed if he was not involved in the finish.
I have to respect anything that Damien Oliver rides and Exospheric ran a stone wall top trial for this when 3rd in the Caulfield Cup, keeping on well and shaping like an intriguing 2m debutant with some very nice form ties in Europe (Simple Verse, Postponed, Jack Hobbs, Highland Reel and Big Orange).
Those would be my three in the field.
