Melbourne Cup

AOB is winning everything at the moment so have to respect BB. However, Saeed Bin Suroor has had the runner-up and placed horses in the Melbourne Cup many times down the years and his yard has been on fire since getting over the virus. At 40/1, Secret Number will do for me, though he needs a few to drop out but worth the risk at the price.

The Northumberland Plate run in Melbourne-for a vast sum of money!

BDJ, it's reduced our entire Juvenile Hurdling crop to Class 4 Flat Handicappers and French juveniles that really want 3 miles and a fence.  It's also started to disrupt European 12f+ G1s, and at the end of the day it's an overblown 2m Handicap.  If I ruled the world I'd slash the prize money by 90% and give the whingeing Aussies what they want - a ban on foreign trained runners.  In return I'd expect the Aussies to accept a ban on them turning up at Newmarket HIT and waltzing off with our horses.

Don't get me wrong I love the internationalisation of Flat racing but this pantomime creates far too much trouble for my liking.

Can't help thinking that there is more than a bit of leg-pulling and joshing going on with some of the posters more than somewhat curmudgeonly with their comments.

Having been lucky enough to get to see the race live and seen first hand the Aussies enthusiasm for the race and the occasion I can't agree at all with the more than mean spirited comments made on here. Any of my Aussie mates reading this would use these to show just how po faced and up ourselves we Poms are, which is pity. I find the Aussies the best people one could find to enjoy life and a day at the races. Judge it as a race comparable to the Grand National. Does it matter that its a handicap? Certainly not.The race attracts the top European stayers for good reason. Its a wonderful day to be part of and its a wonderful race to watch - not that Melbourne racecourse is the best I've ever been too around the world.

With so many of Europes horses taking part it is a great race to play n and I for one will be involved and up at 4 am to watch it on the first Tuesday in November.

This year its followed by the BC rather than the reverse so what a great week of international racing to look forward to.

Amazing race - won by some good horses - a race that does stop a nation....

Main bet for me is HEARTBREAK CITY 14/1 I was really impressed with his run last time.

Agree with OP with Bondi Beach 11/1 that's my cover.

Good luck.

Love this race always have a bet in it. I think Big Orange  can improve on last years 5th place and is the e/w bet in the race at 14/1 will lead or very close to it will be hard to peg back

Jameka and Big Orange for me.

Jameka looks top class imo and you got to like the way she won the Crown Oaks at the Carnival last year. Just grabbed the race by the scruff of the neck turning in and then grinded it out...broke them one by one. It was gruesome viewing i.e. it wasn't like watching Winx go through the gears...just an extremely dour win. that was over 1m5f so bodes well for the extra 3 furlongs.

Big Orange is a fkin beast...type of horse you would love to own. very willing and all heart...tried to win the race the hard way last year but got his head down and battled all the way to the line when they passed him. Looks quality this season and that 2nd to Varizabad out in Dubai is pretty classy given what Varizabad has achieved. Form reads well...even Quest For More who mastered Varizabad in the Cadaran got beat up by Big O at Goodwood. Solid form all round. Loves the track. Will give his all. Can't see any reason not to back him.

Has a huge weight to carry but he strikes me as a Delta Blues type who also won this race off a big weight. I think the grittier older and more battle hardened horses can lump it especially with the weights compressed as they are. 

Will just wait on the draw now...don't like wide draws in this race. Australia horses fire out of the stalls and get into racing positions quickly and then drop anchor so being drawn high here means you're either going to have expend a lot of energy obtaining a good position early or settle for being trapped wide / position down the field. Nice draw under 10 for both and I'll be happy.

Love this time of the year with all these big international races coming thick and fast. Two I've backed are Almoonqith (50-1 EW Sp0rtingbet / 33-1 EW Betfair 4 places) and Almandin (14-1 EW SBet 6 places). I really liked Almoonqith's run in the Caulfield Cup (backed him after that race), staying on well from not a great position, he seems to be coming to the boil nicely. Cliff horse for me over the last two years!

Almandin is unexposed and he looks like he has had a great prep for this race, Kerrin McEvoy riding is also intriguing... I thought he would have been on one of the Godolphin horses!

Plenty of horses with chances as always in this race, I'm not hugely confident with my two picks (both drawn wide) but hopefully they will pick up some EW money.

Exospheric @ 20/1 and Secret Number@ 40/1 for me.

Big Orange 16/1 with B 3. 6. 5

I backed Secret Number ante-post at 40/1 and have done so again with sly bet who are going 33/1 for 6 places.

He has a plum draw in 10. He did not get in the race last year I believe? but ran at Flemington afterwards where he was an unlucky 2nd over 13f so I don't see the trip being an issue. He's strongest at the finish in all his races reading the RP in-running comments. In 2014 he had some top form behind horses like Telescope so he's got the back class to win this. No idea who the jockey is but I guess it's someone who can make the weight easy? 8st 4lb.

Melbourne area
Partly cloudy. Medium (60%) chance of showers, most likely in the late morning and afternoon. Winds northwesterly 20 to 30 km/h tending westerly in the morning then becoming light in the evening.

Min 9
Max 18

If Kerrin can get Almandin well positioned from 17, i think he will run well.

I'm on bondi beach

I've had a little on Grand Marshall EW.

Will the MC be on ATR live? Exospheric, Big Orange & the 3 Godolphin outsiders for me, all e/w - Qewy, Secret Number, Beautiful Romance. Good luck all.

Thanks Facts