Master OReilly favorite to win Melbourne Cup
November 5, 2007
One of the world's richest horse races, the Melbourne Cup will be run over two miles at the Flemington racecourse in Australia today.
Not many casual punters realise that this race is bigger than even the Kentucky Derby, with over $5 million up for grabs!
Master O'Reilly is favored to overcome 23 other horses and uncertain track conditions to win today's Melbourne Cup, Australia's richest race.
The five-year-old stayer, which won last month's Caulfield Cup leadup race, is the 19-5 favorite for the two-mile (3,200- meter) , according to Centrebet - Australia's best known online sportsbook.
"Everything has gone to plan throughout what has been a trouble-free preparation,'' Danny O'Brien, Master O'Reilly's trainer, wrote in yesterday's Herald Sun newspaper.
"He's primed to produce his career-best performance.''
Master O'Reilly is attempting to enter the history books as just the 12th horse to win the Caulfield-Melbourne Cup double in the same year. The most recent galloper to achieve the double was Ethereal in 2001.
In a field weakened somewhat by Australia's first ever outbreak of equine influenza, Master O'Reilly's strongest challenge is likely to come from English 6-1 chance Purple Moon and the experienced Zipping at 7-1. Zipping was fourth in the Cup last year and three days ago placed third in a leadup race.
Purple Moon heads the contingent of European contenders ahead of 11-1 chance Mahler from Ireland which was looking forward to a dry track..
"We're not sure just how bad it will get,'' Aidan O'Brien, Mahler's trainer, told reporters.
"I would prefer a dry track, I'm just hoping it won't get too soft.''
Flemington's newly renovated course, which has staged only three race meetings since development finished, will most likely be rated as 'dead' provided no further bad weather is experienced.
Australia's Bureau of Meteorology forecasts a mostly sunny day for the 147th running of the Cup.
Tungsten Strike, a 40-1 shot trained by Amanda Perrett, rounds out the three European entrants. Ireland's Vintage Crop and Media Puzzle and 2006 winner Delta Blues from Japan are the only horses trained outside of Australia or New Zealand to have won the Melbourne Cup since it was first run in 1861.
Local trainer Bart Cummings, who has prepared a record 11 Melbourne Cup winners, has the joint-fifth favorite in 13-1 chance Sirmione, which won the Group 1 Mackinnon Stakes at Flemington three days ago after starting as an 88-1 outsider.
"The Mackinnon Stakes has been a pretty good guide to the Melbourne Cup over the years so we're in with a show,'' Cummings, 79, told reporters.
"You've got to be in it to win it.''
Run on the first Tuesday of November every year, a public holiday in Melbourne, the race is seen or heard on television or radio by about 85 percent of Australia's 20 million people, according to the Victoria Racing Club.
"From any perspective this is more than a horse race, it's a massive event,'' Danny O'Brien told reporters.
"To be able to win it would be a great thrill.''
Melbourne is one of the world's most presitigous sporting cities, also holding the Australian Open Tennis, Australian F1 Grand Prix, the 1956 Olympics, the 2006 Commonwealth Games, the Australian Rules Football Grand Final every year and the Aussie Millions Poker championship in January
Take a punt on the Melbourne Cup at Centrebet - Australia's best known online sportsbook, and you could be eligible for a free $50 bet!
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