Hi All,
I’ve been away for the last few weeks on a break so sorry for the lack of updates! And what a huge week it was last weekend in the Turnbull with Weekend Hussler failing for the first time this campaign. The other big news of course was in the same race Tuesday Joy bleed and has been to out to retirement once it finishes the three month ban. Read more here
Videos from last weekends races below for your enjoyement.
Turnbull
Metropolitan
Here we go! We are not only 4 weeks away to the Melboure Cup for 2008 and there is a massive days racing ahead of us tomorrow (or today as this is a late post) for the 4th October 2008.
The Turnbull Stakes at Flemington has an opportunity to over-shadow the main even in Sydney from a Melbourne Cup perspecitive, with last years Melbourne Cup winner Efficient taking on other Melbounre Cup hopefuls including, Zipping, Pompeii Ruller, Weekend Hussler (if we all at the same time wish it as a Christmas present), Master O’Rielly, Maldivian, Tuesday Joy and Zaritia. Weekend Hussler by far the favouriate here in this race, but pfft, for the Melbourne Cup who cares really, he won’t win or race.
Just as a note last years winner of the Turnbull was Devil Moon, who went on to claim 5th in the Cox Plate. In the Turnbull last year I am sure that you will note that it beat Melbourne Cup runners, Douro Valley, Zipping, Bluetigeroo, Efficient (who finished 11th! Last out of the Melb Cup runners in the Turnbull, sorry still so bitter) So…what does this mean for the Melbourne Cup? Nothing really, over the last 5 years I have not even used it as a guage for the Cup, so I guess just enjoy the race, but note that a lot of Cup runners are paticipating and one may just catch our eye. And ok, so the last horse to win the Turnbull and Melbourne Cup double was not that long ago in Makybe Diva…but before that you need to go back to 1991 with Let’s Elope. Doriemus was close but won the Melbourne Cup in 1995 and the Turnbull in the following year 1996. So not a lot of joy for Turnbull to Melbourne Cup winners. But if something is a superstar, lets say Tuesday Joy, the ride Beadman is coming back for, trounces Weekend Hussler, I’d be taking note!
Otherwise the main race to be watching is the Metropolitian in Sydney now not a lot to really report here, it was not run last year to the obvious EI reasons and the year before a horse called *cough* Tawqeet was the winner and we all know how his campaigned finished that year. Never-the-less, it will be interesting to see how Fiumicino goes, he has been performing well and getting a lot of miles in th legs for the Cup.
For myself however the horse to watch at the moment will br race #4 Number #1 Ice Chariot, the 2006 QLD Derby winner who I think is flying uner the radar this year and will surprise a lot of people come 4th November….
Otherwise tomorrow, there is a little horse called Samantha Miss running in the Flight Stakes…goes ok…
Check back here tomorrow for race replay’s I will be on it ASAP tomorrow…
Cheers
www.themelbournecupguide.com
What an awesome display Weekend Hussler put on in the Underwood Stakes at Caulfield on the weekend. Maldivian did everything he could to stop the rampant Huss jumping two lengths clear with 400 odd metres left, but faded for 4th beinhd Weekend Hussler, an impressive Pompeii Ruler and Littorio who was also powering home and the only horse to really be taking ground off 1st and 2nd.
I wonder how Colin Tidy’s Sportsbet are feeling now after taking on Weekend Hussler and losing to the tune of $650K with a punter having $1M on The Australian Horse of The Year. For the record I was on Maldvian at $9, offered value with Weekend Hussler unproven over the distance, but lesson learnt! I won’t be taking him on again unless he runs in the Caulfield Cup. Otherwise not much in this race for us Melbourne Cup watches with Viewed probably the best late coming through the middle.
Underwood Stakes Video
Sportsbet in the Northern Territory have taken on their biggest client with the customer placing a $1 million wager on Weekend Hussler to win today’s Underwood Stakes as being reported in today’s SMH.
It would appear as though punters are backing Weekend Hussler only and leaving a lot of the others alone, so expect to see some great odds about for Maldivian, Pompeii Ruler and Light Fantastic. The main question however has to be the 1800m and can Weekend Hussler dominate like he has up to 1600. Weekend Hussler is only proven up to 1600m, mind you his biggest win so far this preparation by 2.5 lengths was his last start over 1600 in the Maykbe Diva Stakes. Light Fantastic seemed to be off his race that day and Maldivian was not there. I think this will be a bigger test, not just for the 1800 but a tougher group across the board to try and beat home.
From our Melbourne Cup perspective, while a lot of the action will take place at the pointy end of the field. We need to be keeping an eye our for the following runners looking to continue their Melbourne Cup preparations: Douro Valley, The Fuzz, Viewed, Zarita and Riva San. None of these runners really have a chance today, altough I would not be surprised if Zarita popped up for a place, but key an eye out for these horses hitting the line.
Also, race 9 at Caulfield has a few Melbourne Cup potential runners in, Dolphin Jo, Zavite and Leica Falcon, come back for posts 
There was a lot of action over the weekend not just here in Australia but around the globe for the build up to the 2008 Melbourne Cup.
Maldivian was a valiant 4th in the Group II Dato Tan Chin Nam Stakes at Moonee Valley on Saturday. Maldivian had to do a lot of work alone to chase down the early leaders Sir Slick and Jungle Ruler before running out of juice and overtaken by Guillotine, Casual Pass and Tears I Cry, the race did nothing more then put cash in the bookies pockets to be honest. This was not a race for Maldivian, not even sure why he ran it myself, maybe the connections thought it was an easy Group 2 win. I think he is being a little over raced and if reports are correct that he’ll be lining up in the Underwood Stakes again Weekend Hussler and Light Fantastic, might be overdone come Cox Plate and Caulfield Cup time.
Tuesday Joy meanwhile firmed in Melbourne Cup betting with a win in the Group II Stocks Stakes flashing home late to snatch it from Devil Moon that was in my mind the best horse in the race. Devil Moon jumped from gate 13 well and pushed up early and had to sit 4 wide the entire circuit and to be just beaten by Tuesday Joy was a great run, I’ll be all over Devil Moon next start if he draws a good gate. And a note for all those thinking of Tuesday Joy repeating Makybe Diva’s Caulfield Cup – Melbourne Cup double, with a win at Moonee Valley, Tuesday Joy could easily start the Cox Plate and then into the Melbourne Cup skipping the Caulfield Cup.
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