Champion galloper and former Melbourne Cup winner Americain has opened at the top of the futures odds for one the Melbourne Autumn Racing Carnival’s major staying showdowns, the Australian Cup 2012.
Americain is early favourite to win the 2012 Australian Cup next month at Flemington
Nominations for the $1 million Group 1 Australian Cup (2000m), due to run at Flemington on Saturday March 10, were taken last month with 53 quality runners making up the early entries.
Now our preferred online bookmaker Luxbet is offering juicy early futures prices on these nominees in their all-in Australian Cup 2012 odds.
Clear-cut favourite in these markets is former French-trained seven-year-old Americain who is currently residing in Victoria under the preparation of David Hayes.
After their brilliant last-to-fourth run in the Melbourne Cup when defending their title in the famous Flemington feature last spring, Americain was last seen winning the Group 2 Sandown Zipping Classic (2400m) on November 24.
They are in for a busy autumn and the bookies are confident they can follow in the hoofsteps of Shocking, the 2009 Melbourne Cup winner having saluted in the 2011 Australian Cup before bowing out to serve at stud.
Three other horses are currently at single-figures in the 2012 Australian Cup betting markets at Luxbet with Anthony Freedman’s smart German import Lucas Cranach ($7) who finished third in the Melbourne Cup last start, the Lloyd Williams-owned At First Sight ($8) and Caulfield Cup winning mare Southern Speed ($9) who resumed with a first-up win the Listed John Dillon Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield on January 26 carrying a hefty 60kg.
Other notable runners high up the markets include Gai Waterhouse’s 2010 Caulfield Cup hero Descarado ($11) last seen wining the Caulfield Stakes in October, the Michael Moroney-trained former European Glass Harmonium ($11), and smart Kiwi galloper and regular visitor down under Wall Street ($13).
See below for the complete list of 2012 Australian Cup odds that punters can lock in right now at Luxbet.
Australian Cup first acceptances will be taken on February 21 followed by the release of the final field on March 7.
Don’t wait until prices firm! Place your Australian Cup bets now at Luxbet and if you are a first-time depositing customer make sure you enter the codeword BONUSBET and unlock your $400 bonus bet!
