2017 Australian Cup Form Guide & Betting Preview

March 9, 2017

2017 Australian Cup Form Guide & Betting Preview

The Australian Cup 2017 is the weight-for-age feature on the ‘Super Saturday’ race card at Flemington Racecourse this weekend, a detailed form guide analysis and betting preview for which can be found below.

Awesome Rock

Awesome Rock is back in the 2017 Australian Cup field out to atone for his protest loss in the race 12 months ago. Photo: Ultimate Racing Photos.

There are a dozen smart staying types facing off in the $1.5 million Group 1 Australian Cup (2000m) this Melbourne Autumn Racing Carnival, the feature running as Flemington Race 8 at 4:35pm (AEDT).

It is a star-studded edition of the lead-up into Sydney’s The BMW in a fortnight and five of the runners are currently under double-figures for the win in the Australian Cup odds at Ladbrokes.com.au.

Battling for top spot in Australian Cup betting are the Darren Weir-trained Humidor ($4.20) and Caulfield Cup winning mare Jameka ($4.40) who both look set to peak.

Four-year-old Humidor is the up-and-comer in the field coming off a second in the Group 2 Peter Young Stakes (1800m), while the Ciaron Maher-trained mare Jameka is a proven Group 1 horse out to improve on her fourth in the same traditional lead-up.

The Peter Young Stakes winner Stratum Star ($6.50) chases a fourth straight turf triumph, while the Robert Hickmott-trained The United States (47.50) will be fitter for his first-up third in the same race.

Below we take a closer look at the full Australian Cup form guide, betting history, race facts and statistics to find the value in the markets this weekend.

Co-trainer David Hayes chases a fourth Australian Cup win in 2017 with Boom Time

2017 Australian Cup Form Facts & Betting Stats

  • Last year’s Australian Cup winner was the Chris Waller-trained Preferment (2016) who won on protest (over Awesome Rock) off a Chipping Norton Stakes fourth in Sydney and who was ridden by Hugh Bowman from barrier 9 (of 10) as a $7 shot in betting
  • Waller is without a 2017 runner but the previous Australian Cup winning trainers with a starter on Saturday are: Robert Hickmott (10-1-2-1) with #3 The United States; Gai Waterhouse (9-1-2-1) with #5 Ecuador; Lee Freedman (20-2-1-6) with #6 Exospheric and #8 Tom Melbourne; and David Hayes (24-3-2-5) with #9 Boom Time
  • Last year’s official winning hoop Hugh Bowman (2-1-0-0) chases back-to-back wins on #11 Jameka ($4.40) out to be the first successive Australian Cup jockey since Craig Newitt (2006-07)
  • The other previous Australian Cup winning jockeys with a ride on Saturday are: Damien Oliver (17-1-3-5) on #6 Exospheric and Glen Boss (12-1-2-1) on #8 Tom Melbourne
  • First-past-the-post in 2016 #2 Awesome Rock ($18) is back for a second shot at the Australian Cup and out to atone for the protest loss
  • Last year’s winning barrier (9) has produced a total of four Australian Cup winners (since 1983) and belongs on Saturday to #4 Mourinho ($67)
  • The most successful Australian Cup barrier in that time with five winners is gate eight drawn this year by #9 Boom Time ($31); Awesome Rock also jumped from barrier 8 in 2016
Boom Time is drawn the most successful Australian Cup barrier in the past 30 years
  • Preferment (2016) was the first Australian Cup winner to come off a non-Caulfield lead-up run since Octagonal (1997) who won the Chipping Norton Stakes in his last run
  • Every horse in this year’s Australian Cup field comes off a run at Caulfield Racecourse
  • The Peter Young Stakes (formerly the St George Stakes) is key lead-up race into the Australian Cup including producing 6 of the past 10 winners and 7 on the trot from 2002 – 2008
  • #1 Stratum Star ($6.50) chases the Peter Young Stakes – Australian Cup double last achieved by Fiorente (2014)
Stratum Star is out to be the latest Peter Young Stakes – Australian Cup double winner
  • The other Peter Young Stakes graduates in the race this year are: Humidor (2nd), The United States (3rd), Jameka (4th), Real Love (5th), Exospheric (6th), Tally (7th), Mourinho (8th), Tom Melbourne (9th) and Awesome Rock (10th)
  • The non-Peter Young Stakes horses coming off a different lead-up are: Ecuador (Futurity Stakes 3rd) and Boom Time (Victoria Cup 1st)
  • Just one Australian Cup favourite has won since 2004 with Fiorente (2014); #10 Humidor ($4.20) and #11 Jameka ($4.40) are the best in betting this season
  • Only one double-figure hope has saluted in the past seven years – Spillway ($13 in 2015)
  • Makybe Diva (2005) is the only Australian Cup winning mare since Dane Ripper (1998); the mares out to break the hoodoo this year are: #11 Jameka and #13 Real Love
  • The highest Win Rate of the field belongs to #3 The United States (32%) followed by #5 Ecuador (31%), #6 Exospheric (31%), #8 Tom Melbourne (31%) and #10 Humidor (31%)
  • The best Place Rate of the field belongs to #10 Humidor (77%) followed by #7 Tally (71%)
  • The previous winners at the Flemington track are: #2 Awesome Rock (6-2-2-0), #9 Boom Time (2-2-0-0), #11 Jameka (7-2-1-0), #1 Stratum Star (10-1-1-3), #8 Tom Melbourne (3-1-1-1) and #12 Real Love (3-1-0-1)
  • The horses with the best 2000m record over the distance are: #4 Mourinho (13-4-0-3), #3 The United States (6-2-2-0), #11 Jameka (4-2-1-1), #12 Real Love (5-2-1-1), #6 Exospheric (4-2-0-1), #8 Tom Melbourne (6-2-1-0), #9 Boom Time (2-2-0-0) and #10 Humidor (3-2-1-0)

Stay tuned for our insider Australian Cup 2017 betting tips to be published shortly, checking out the full race form guide below in the meantime courtesy of Ladbrokes.com.au – home of Odds Boost (T&Cs apply).

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