Cross Counter. His second in the Voltigeur wasn't a bad run. His barrier in the Cup (19) is not nice, but as he comes into the race as a Northern Hemisphere 3 year old, he gets into the race with nothing on his back. It's worth remembering that a Northern 3yo won this race last year. The clip below is all I can get of the Voltigeur. About $9.00.
The other Northern 3 yo in the race is Rostropovich. He too has a terrible barrier. (21) He ran a so-so race in the Cox Plate, but he had to be used for the first half mile and was hard ridden on the corner, then stopped. But there's nothing in this race who could come close in a Cox Plate. Aidan O'Brien all this way for the Cup if he didn't think him chance. Seriously though, It's the 3 yo thing that makes me wonder. And he has the speed to maybe find cover in the first, straight, 5 furlongs after the start. Cox Plate below. I had trouble keeping my eyes off Winx. About 20-1.
A Prince Of Arran, trained at Newmarket won a slot in the Cup when he took out the 2500m G3 Lexus last Saturday. It's a big ask to back up so soon, but it was a nice, solid effort in the Lexus. 25-1.
SOUND CHECK. A German bred who disappointed in Caulfield Cup beaten 10l by Best Solution. But before leaving for Australia, he ran a nice race in the G1 GROSSER PREIS VON BERLIN, again beaten by Best Solution. A nice effort. No 5, White, red cap.
Cyc, why are there name changes to some of the visiting horses, is it because they clash with horses already named in Aus? Prince Of Arran is now A Prince Of Arran and Cliffsofmoher has morphed into The Cliffsofmoher. Also, is there any truth in that the race is to be moved to Ascot UK next year to save the main contenders so much travelling?
Yeah the move to Ascot has been considered Stick, but it was quickly knocked on the head when owners realised that racing in the UK for a few hundred quid didn't make sense. Your cousins from Australia sincerely hope that one day you can begin racing for more than what amounts to little more than a couple of tins of fruit. I'm not sure about the name changes mate. I know one was changed because it was too close to one in use. It's a good question.
The horses names were changed before their previous races, to avoid confusion with locally trained horses. Prince Of Arran became A Prince Of Arran. Langley became Lord Langley and Cliffs Of Moher became My Cliffsofmoher briefly before changing again to The Cliffsofmoher. It's a wonder they didn't change him to There'll Be Bluebirds Over The White Cliffs Of Moher but the 18 letter limit would be well exceeded. I renamed him myself, earlier this season, to Cliff Horse Moher for a follower whose money was going down the pan regularly. The rumour was that the horse was known as Cyndi in the yard, because he disappointed "Time after time" Great preview work by Cyclonic here so thanks for that effort. Not a race I play in often but this year there are plenty of runners I am familiar with. My biggest disappointment was being on Max Dynamite ante-post at nice odds only for Frankie to fail to get him up to catch the 100/1 winner. There was a stage turning for home where Frankie took a pull on Max Dynamite to delay his run for a bit longer. I will go to the grave feeling he would have won it if he hadn't done that and it's the cardinal sin to leave the horse just unable to land a race that should have etched his name in the record book. Too much praise for jockeys landing race simly because they were on the best horse in the race and not enough analysis of where they dropped a bollock. The commentators sit on the fence and shelter under the "Unlucky" umbrella, when the only unlucky thing was that the jockey had a rush of excrement to the head. I am not sure about Aidan's hand here. Yucatan looked now't special thus far and his chance seems to rest solely on his latest start. Cliff Richard, or whatever his name is at the moment hasn't been a horse to put in the scrapbook of heroes, while Rostropovich hasn't really lived up to the excitement that grew in some places after he landed the Dee Stakes at Chester. I am doubtful any of them really want this far on the evidence to hand but Yucatan wasn't stopping last time. I feel the value just isn't there (As ever) with the huge outfit's runners. Godolphin have a good looking chance here but I think Best Solution has a lot on to give 15 lbs to Cross Counter. I am less sure he wants this trip as much as his younger teammate might do. Marmelo is solid if unexciting from a decent draw. I don't fancy Gosden's Muntahaa here and at 10/1 he's short for a horse who doesn't seem to win very often and he's on a career high mark after landing the Ebor. Magic Circle has hosed up twice since joining Ian Williams from the Beckett yard but he's a real stayer. There are several with stamina questions but he has won beyond 2 Miles. Maybe revitalised for the change of scenery but is he fast enough tactically in a big field? Favourite in some lists now, I will leave Magic Circle in fear of him being done for toe. In the end I decided to stick with Cross Counter. I did him ante post for the Voltiguer only to see him pipped by Old Persian. Old Persian ran out of steam in the Leger but the Voltiguer 3rd Kew Gardens landed the final Classic of 2018. Cross Counter got weight from the O'Brien horse that day but it is still the outstanding piece of form for me. He is unexposed and may take another step forward at the trip. On 8st here, Cross Counter looks to have a nice weight and he may have a big chance for a horse I feel is better at this stage of his career than Rekindling was last year. Cross Counter 8/1 for me. Yucatan is respected but too short for my money. Muntahaa, Magic Circle and Best Solution are the ones I see as the poorest risk/ reward options. Good luck everybody.
I dunno, the more I look at the race, the harder it becomes. But we all have to put it on the line, so here goes. The rain has finally pushed me towards the mare Youngstar at about 15-1. Good luck all.
https://www.racing.com/news/2018-11-06/review-melbourne-cup-drought-over-for-godolphin What a run by Cross Counter. Well done Grendel
WHAT THE JOCKEYS SAID Cross Counter: Kerrin McEvoy “It’s a huge thrill to win this race, as I said in the press yesterday, to repay a bit of faith that he showed in me. So huge thanks to my team. My lovely wife and family. Kathy does a great job. I love you so much. And obviously got a huge team around me personally as well. I would like to thank each and every one of them. Yeah, I’m over the moon. Unbelievable feeling.” Marmelo: Hugh Bowman “Ran his race. Disappointed but proud of the horse.” A Prince Of Arran: Michael Walker “He’s all heart the horse. I couldn’t have asked for a better run. At least I’ve got a top chance for next year and I believe if he didn’t run Saturday he would have won today.” Finche: Zac Purton “Excellent run. I think if it was a firmer a track he would have got a lot closer.” Rostropovich: Wayne Lordan “Ran very well. Very pleased with him, so good day.” Youngstar: Craig Williams “I was delighted in the performance. She was the only female in the field. She had a lot of girl power today. We had a great run throughout. I wouldn’t change anything bar the result. It will just season her up and make her harder for when she comes back.” Sir Charles Road: Dwayne Dunn “Super effort. Had a splendid run in transit and probably just missing the Caulfield Cup just lacked a little bit of fitness, but great run.” Best Solution: Pat Cosgrave “Slow away. Just playing catch up after that. Too far back.” Muntahaa: Jim Crowley “He didn’t really travel. I thought he would be a bit keener than he was, The ground had maybe got a bit too soft for him as well. When we turned I thought he would be thereabouts but he just poked on one-paced.” Ventura Storm: Mark Zahra “He gave it his all, had a nice run but just doesn’t stay two miles.” Yucatan: James McDonald “He worked into a nice spot from the gate, he travelled really nicely. I just thought he just didn’t stay the two mile.” Nakeeta: Regan Bayliss “He gave me a lovely ride throughout. I was still travelling at the 600m to 400m it was a gallant effort.” Zacada: Damian Lane “He run great. The slow pace worked against him but he ran really well.” Chestnut Coat: Yugi Kawada “He had ideal run through the race. He tried hard.” Vengeur Masque: Patrick Moloney “The soft track saw him out today on 3200m. I don’t know whether he ran out the trip. He had a lovely run, had every opportunity, but in this sort of going it just found him out”’ Magic Circle: Corey Brown “I was disappointed. I had a great run from the barrier but he never gave me a kick at all.” Who Shot Thebarman: Ben Melham “He’s getting on now and probably didn’t let down to the best of his ability.” Sound Check: Jordan Childs “Thought he ran well considering he just got caught wide going out of the first corner and had to do a lot of work but he was pretty honest to the line.” Runaway: Stephen Baster “It was a great thrill winning the Geelong Cup but the two miles was just too far for him today.” Ace High: Tye Angland “He just had to work from a wide gate. He was comfortable but struggled to run the trip.” Auvray: Tommy Berry “He just wasn’t good enough. Someone just said to me, ‘well done, Kerrin.’ So, feels like I did win.” Avilius: Glyn Schofield “We were behind the horse that had accident which put paid to our chances.” Red Cardinal: Damien Oliver “He raced a little bit keen on the slow pace and when it was time to go, he just didn’t have enough there to finish the race off.” The Cliffsofmoher: Ryan Moore NA
Big shame about Cliffs Of Moher and it is overshadowing a sensational performance from Cross Counter. To quicken up from as far back as he was to land the race cosily was as impressive as I have ever seen in the Melbourne Cup. Surely we will see more success for Cross Counter, who was said to have had a setback of sorts a couple of weeks ago. The gelding seemed to come from nowhere to thrash Dee Ex Bee and have punters scrambling to get St Leger odds before realising that he could not run in the race because he was not an entire horse. Hard lines for Magic Circle backers but he would have needed a hell of a performance against Cross Counter on the day.
