Walter McShane’s last-start Melbourne Cup Day winner Norsqui is expected to open the punters’ pick for the Sandown Cup 2011 this Saturday, the progressive stayer one of 10 gallopers engaged in the testing two-mile showdown.
Norsqui is equal 57kg topweight along with Olympic Win for the 2011 Sandown Cup
In just its second year, the $125,000 Sandown Cup (3200m) is the only non-black-type race on the nine-event Sandown card for Saturday but is still shaping up as a beauty of a race to enjoy an end-of-season punt on through Luxbet.
Matsqui five-year-old Norsqui, winner of The Lavazza Long Black (2800m) at Flemington last Tuesday, will likely open at the top of the Sandown Cup odds at Luxbet despite being allocated 57kg.
Due to be ridden by Chris Symons, Norsqui rises three kilos from their Melbourne Cup Day weight allocation and is out for their seventh career victory.
Norsqui is out to emulate the inaugural Sandown Cup winner last year, Peter Moody’s Zabeel gelding Macedonian having come off a win in The Lavazza Long Black.
Equal 57kg topweight for the Sandown Cup this year is The Lavazza Long Black third placegetter Olympic Win.
Prepared by Robert Smerdon the Montjeu six-year-old has won five of their 31 starts to date and has come up trumps with barrier three.
Norsqui is also one of only four horses in the Sandown Cup 2011 to have won at the track along with the Terry Carson’s genuine staying mare Affinis, Good Journey four-year-old Crafty Cruiser and David Hayes’ Galileo six-year-old Reprisal last seen finishing sixth in the Group 3 The Lexus Stakes (2500m) at Flemington on Derby Day.
Meanwhile there are four other last-start winners engaged in the race besides Norsqui with the Patrick Payne-trained Jumpin Jack Cash (3000m, Moonee Valley, 28/10/2011), eight-year-old Archway mare Debecca (2400m, Mornington, 30/10/2011), Elvstroem gelding Capriev (2100m, Corowa, 01/11/2011) and Robbi Laing’s High Chaparral five-year-old Morning Raid (2400m, Pakenham, 03/11/2011).
Olympic Win and Norsqui are also the only two horses engaged to have had a start over the 3200 metres before; Norsqui having run third to subsequent Melbourne Cup eighth placegetter Niwot in the Listed Andrew Ramsden Stakes at Flemington in May and Olympic Win finishing a close fourth to Muir in the Group 2 Adelaide Cup at Morphettville in March.
Sandown Cup betting markets will be released at the Tabcorp-owned and trusted online bookmaker Luxbet shortly, so make sure you’re ready to get your bets down at the best prices by signing up with Luxbet today quoting the code BONUSBET when making your initial deposit for a $500 bonus bet!
2011 Sandown Cup Final Field & Barrier Draw
Sandown Race 3 – 12/11/2011
| # | Form (Last 10) | Horse | Trainer | Jockey | Barrier | Weight | Hcp. Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 11213X4161 | NORSQUI | Walter McShane | Chris Symons | 10 | 57kg | 87 |
| 2 | 124X007353 | OLYMPIC WIN (NZ) | Robert Smerdon | Mark Zahra | 3 | 57kg | 87 |
| 3 | 001X982146 | REPRISAL | David Hayes | Brenton Avdulla | 7 | 55kg | 82 |
| 4 | 50X3770345 | OUR SERENA | Pat Carey | Craig Williams | 6 | 54.5kg | 78 |
| 5 | 4553151230 | CRAFTY CRUISER | Bryce Stanaway | Ms Lisa Cropp | 2 | 54.5kg | 72 |
| 6 | 5X32123361 | JUMPIN JACK CASH | Patrick Payne | Ms Michelle Payne | 4 | 54.5kg | 72 |
| 7 | X0090X4341 | DEBECCA | Stephen Hutchinson | Craig Newitt | 1 | 54.5kg | 68 |
| 8 | 5X71155633 | AFFINIS | Terry Carson | Jarrod Todd | 9 | 54.5kg | 67 |
| 9 | 69X0635411 | CAPRIEV | Martin Stein | Cameron Quilty | 8 | 54.5kg | 60 |
| 10 | 0X848X8061 | MORNING RAID (NZ) | Robbie Laing | - | 5 | 54.5kg | 55 |
