On Saturday as part of the cracker race card for the 2010 Cox Plate Day at Moonee Valley, the $250,000 Group 2 Moonee Valley Cup (2500m) will take place featuring a number of 2010 Melbourne Cup hopefuls.
Registered as the Cathay Pacific Airways Cup, the 2010 Moonee Valley Cup final field has attracted 15 mature gallopers plus one emergency with the Bart Cummings-trained Precedence the odds-on favourite.
Five-year-old Zabeel gelding Precedence is at the top of the Moonee Valley Cup betting markets currently paying $3 to win through Luxbet despite drawing wide with barrier 10.
Cummings is using the Moonee Valley Cup as a last grasp attempt to elevate Precedence into the Melbourne Cup field.
Currently Precedence is sitting 39th on the order of entry for the 150th Melbourne Cup and a win plus penalty on Saturday could be enough to earn the JRA Cup winner a start.
Luxbet have four other runners at single figure odds for Saturday’s showdown with Master O’Reilly the $6 second favourite, in from his opening quote of $6.50.
Drawn ideally on the rails, Danny O’Brien’s Group 1 winning eight-year-old is coming off a fifth to So You Think in the Yalumba Stakes and with a bit of luck can win the MV Cup at a good price.
Master O’Reilly is 19th on the Melbourne Cup elimination order, already assured of a spot in the field.
Other horses at the top of the betting include the Lee Freedman-trained Above Average ($8), Kiwi-bred gelding Capecover ($9.50) and Robert Smerdon’s last start Morphettville winner over this distance Saddlers Story in from $10 to $9.50 at Luxbet.
The 2010 Moonee Valley Cup is scheduled as Race 7 on the Cox Plate Day card for Saturday, due to jump at 4:40pm (AEDST).
To get the Tote price plus 20% on your wagers and clean up on Saturday sign up with Luxbet now!
*Update: #12 My Bentley has been scratched from the 2010 Moonee Valley Cup
2010 Moonee Valley Cup Field, Barrier Draw & Odds
| No. | Horse | Trainer | Rider | Br. | Weight | Odds* |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CAPECOVER (NZ) | Patrick Payne | Steven Arnold | 14 | 57 | 9.50 |
| 2 | PRECEDENCE (NZ) | Bart Cummings | Blake Shinn | 10 | 56.5 | 3.00 |
| 3 | JESSICABEEL (NZ) | John O’Shea | Corey Brown | 5 | 56 | 11.00 |
| 4 | BERLIOZ (NZ) | David Hayes | Brad Rawiller | 8 | 56 | 41.00 |
| 5 | ABOVE AVERAGE (IRE) | Lee Freedman | Damien Oliver | 7 | 56 | 7.00 |
| 6 | MASTER O’REILLY (NZ) | Danny O’Brien | Dwayne Dunn | 1 | 55 | 6.50 |
| 7 | IRAZU | Steve Richards | Steven King | 4 | 55 | 13.00 |
| 8 | SADDLER’S STORY | Robert Smerdon | Nash Rawiller | 3 | 55 | 10.00 |
| 9 | AJHAR (USA) | Lee Freedman | Chris Symons | 2 | 55 | 14.00 |
| 10 | DOOSRA DIAMOND | Bob Challis | Craig Newitt | 11 | 55 | 41.00 |
| 11 | NIPTIOUS | Danny Curran | Danny Nikolic | 6 | 55 | 91.00 |
| 12 | MY BENTLEY (NZ) | Michael Kent | - | 16 | 55 | 10.00 |
| 13 | PERSIAN STAR | Robert Smerdon | Glen Boss | 12 | 54 | 18.00 |
| 14 | GOLDEN CHARMER | Dan O’Sullivan | - | 9 | 53 | 101.00 |
| 15 | MONTAHLIA (NZ) | Michael Kent | - | 13 | 53 | 31.00 |
| 16e | SEA GALLEON | Colin & Cindy Alderson | Michael Walker | 15 | 53 | 18.00 |
*Odds provided by Luxbet and are correct at time of publication
