Champion Australian hoop Glen Boss will ride star filly and early 2010 Melbourne Cup favourite Faint Perfume during her Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival campaign this year.

Faint Perfume, trained by the legendary Bart Cummings, was ridden by rival jockey Michael Rodd during her recent autumn runs.

Rodd was aboard for her smart victory in the Group 1 Storm Queen Stakes (2000m) at Rosehill and her gallant second to Once Were Wild in the Group 1 AJC Australian Oaks (2400m) last start in April.

But Cummings, readying himself for a record 13^th Melbourne Cup victory this November, has made an agreement for Boss to replace Rodd as Faint Perfume’s jockey this spring.

Boss has voiced much praise for the 2009 Crown Oaks winner, especially over the rising four-year-old’s unbeaten record at the famous Flemington track.

Faint Perfume, a daughter of Shamardal out of Zona, has won five of her 11 career starts to date for over $1.44 million in prizemoney including three from three at Flemington.

Last year Faint Perfume took out the Group 2 Wakeful Stakes (2000m), Group 1 Crown Oaks (2500m) and the Group 2 Kewney Stakes (1600m) at Flemington and looks set for another stunning spring campaign this year.

Glen Boss holds the record as the only jockey to have won three successive Melbourne Cups when he rode the magnificent Makybe Diva in 2003, 2004 and 2005.

A win in the 2010 Melbourne Cup aboard Faint Perfume and Boss would equal the record shared by Bobbie Lewis and Harry White, becoming a four time Melbourne Cup winning jockey.

Early pre-nomination betting markets are already open on the 2010 Melbourne Cup at SportingBet, with Faint Perfume the current $15 favourite to win the 150^th edition of the famous Flemington feature.

Faint Perfume’s favouritism not only has to do with her impressive record, but the fact that she should be weighted well for the Melbourne Cup due to the large number of international contenders this year.

Other top contenders attracting plenty of money from the punters to become the 2010 Melbourne Cup Winner include Linton, classy Irish mare Profound Beauty, the John O’Shea trained duo Jessicabeel and Zabrasive, and last year’s winner Shocking.

The Mark Kavanagh-trained Shocking is due to be ridden in the 2010 Melbourne Cup by Faint Perfume’s old jockey Michael Rodd, who is now too heavy to board the filly.

The earlier you get in with your Melbourne Cup selections the better odds you will lock in so check out the full markets at SportingBet today.

Nominations for the 2010 Melbourne Cup will be announced next Tuesday, and we will be the first to publish the list of horses nominated for the $6 million race.

Don’t forget to return in October too to view the 2010 Melbourne Cup final field and our detailed form preview to help you make the winning Cup bets!

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