Japanese trainer Yoshitada Munakata has confirmed Melbourne Cup favourite Fame Game will be ridden the same way as in the Caulfield Cup, but perhaps a little differently.
Zac Purton was grilled over his ride at Caulfield when the horse finished an eye-catching but gentle sixth to cement his place at the top of the Melbourne Cup market.
He will jump from barrier 12 on Tuesday and is now at $3.20 with the TAB to win Australia’s most famous race.
• Tarzino wins Group 1 Victoria Derby
• Terry Bailey: ‘I’m not going to walk away’
“Hopefully he runs up to expectations,” Munakata said through an interpreter.
“He will be ridden similar to Caulfield – perhaps a little closer.
“I think he will be better suited over the longer distance of the Melbourne Cup.
“He had his final gallop today which went well. It’s been a nice, smooth preparation all the way through.”
Caulfield Cup runner-up Trip To Paris remains the second favourite at $9 and starts from 14 with his much-loved Ed Dunlop-trained stablemate, three-time Cup runner-up Red Cadeaux a $19 chance from barrier eight.
The Gai Waterhouse-trained Excess Knowledge, the last horse into the field courtesy of his Lexus Stakes win on Saturday, will start from the outside gate, 24, while Prince Of Penzance starts from the inside alley.
Leviathan owner Lloyd Williams has three chances to claim a fifth Cup with the Aidan O’Brien-trained pair of Bondi (barrier 18) and Kingfisher (9) joining Moonee Valley Cup winner The United States who is prepared by Robert Hickmott.
Williams and his son Nick bought into Bondi Beach ($35) and Kingfisher ($26) a few weeks ago.
“Aidan O’Brien is the best trainer in the world,” Nick Williams said.
“He is the private trainer for Coolmore and we are lucky they allowed us to buy shares in these horses.
“The three will race in our navy blue with different coloured caps.”
The David Hayes and Tom Dabernig-trained Criterion drew well in four and firmed from $14 to $12 while Irish horse Max Dynamite came in from $12 to $10 after drawing two.
Frankie Dettori has been confirmed as the rider for Max Dynamite who is trained by Willie Mullins.
Chris Waller has three runners – Who Shot Thebarman (barrier 6, $19), Grand Marshal (15, $35) and Preferment (11, $10) as he tries to add the Melbourne Cup to his Cox Plate win with Winx.
| No. | Horse | Jockey | Barrier | Weight | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  |
SNOW SKY | Ryan Moore | 16 | 58kg |
| 2 |  |
CRITERION | Michael Walker | 4 | 57.5kg |
| 3 |  |
FAME GAME | Zac Purton | 12 | 57kg |
| 4 |  |
OUR IVANHOWE | Ben Melham | 22 | 56kg |
| 5 |  |
BIG ORANGE | Jamie Spencer | 23 | 55.5kg |
| 6 |  |
HARTNELL | James McDonald | 17 | 55.5kg |
| 7 |  |
HOKKO BRAVE | Craig Williams | 20 | 55.5kg |
| 8 |  |
MAX DYNAMITE | Frankie Dettori | 2 | 55kg |
| 9 |  |
RED CADEAUX | Gerald Mosse | 8 | 55kg |
| 10 |  |
TRIP TO PARIS | Tommy Berry | 14 | 55kg |
| 11 |  |
WHO SHOT THEBARMAN | Blake Shinn | 6 | 54.5kg |
| 12 |  |
SKY HUNTER | William Buick | 7 | 54kg |
| 13 |  |
THE OFFER | Damien Oliver | 13 | 54kg |
| 14 |  |
GRAND MARSHAL | Jim Cassidy | 15 | 53.5kg |
| 15 |  |
PREFERMENT | Hugh Bowman | 11 | 53.5kg |
| 16 |  |
QUEST FOR MORE | Damian Lane | 21 | 53.5kg |
| 17 |  |
ALMOONQITH | Dwayne Dunn | 10 | 53kg |
| 18 |  |
KINGFISHER | Colm O’Donoghue | 9 | 53kg |
| 19 |  |
PRINCE OF PENZANCE | Michelle Payne | 1 | 53kg |
| 20 |  |
BONDI BEACH | Brett Prebble | 18 | 52.5kg |
| 21 |  |
SERTORIUS | Craig Newitt | 5 | 52.5kg |
| 22 |  |
THE UNITED STATES | Joao Moreira | 3 | 52.5kg |
| 23 |  |
EXCESS KNOWLEDGE | Kerrin McEvoy | 24 | 51kg |
| 24 |  |
GUST OF WIND | Chad Schofield | 19 | 51kg |
Live News
