Bart Cummings Winner Surprise Baby Punches Ticket to the 2019 Melbourne Cup

October 5, 2019

Bart Cummings Winner Surprise Baby Punches Ticket to the 2019 Melbourne Cup

Surprise Baby lived up to his name at Flemington on Saturday as Paul Preusker’s five-year-old earned a guaranteed spot in next month’s 2019 Melbourne Cup.

Surprise Baby. Photo: Ultimate Racing Photos.

Surprise Baby earned a 2019 Melbourne Cup ballot exemption winning The Bart Cummings race at Flemington. Photo: Ultimate Racing Photos.

The gelding by Shocking jumped as the favourite in The Bart Cummings (2520m) before showing a tremendous turn of foot over the final 200m to flash home late and win by a length and a half.

Surprise Baby entered the race fresh from a fourth placing in the Group 2 Feehan Stakes (1600m) at Moonee Valley a fortnight ago. Following Saturday’s win, the Kiwi galloper has since firmed into $15.00 with Ladbrokes.com.au in Melbourne Cup betting ahead of the race that stops a nation.

“I haven’t got a lot of words at the minute so you’ll have to forgive me,” Preusker said after the race.

“I think he’ll improve a lot off today, he’s not wound up, I’ll strip him better again. It’s just a matter of getting him home and letting the feet hit the ground and we’ll come up with another plan.”

Surprise Baby currently holds a 52.5kg weight claim for the Group 1 $8 million Lexus Melbourne Cup (3200m) with a likely penalty forthcoming. Almandin (2016) remains the only horse to have successfully completed The Bart Cummings-Melbourne Cup double since 2007.

Market mover Supernova also finished strongly on Saturday for second but remains a long $67.00 chance in All-In Melbourne Cup betting through Ladbrokes.com.au.

2019 The Bart Cummings Results & Finishing Order

Place # Horse Trainer Jockey Margin Br. Wgt. SP
1 3 SURPRISE BABY (NZ) Paul Preusker Jordan Childs 6 57kg $2.50F
2 11 SUPERNOVA (GB) Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes Dwayne Dunn 1.5L 4 54kg $6
3 10 WOLFE (JPN) Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott Ms Linda Meech 2.25L 1 54kg $8
4 4 VENTURA STORM (IRE) David & B Hayes & T Dabernig Jamie Kah 3.75L 2 56kg $11
5 8 AZURO (FR) Ciaron Maher & David Eustace Dean Yendall 3.95L 3 54kg $21
6 2 DAL HARRAILD (GB) Ciaron Maher & David Eustace Mark Zahra 4.25L 5 57kg $16
7 6 ALFARRIS (FR) David & B Hayes & T Dabernig Luke Nolen 5.5L 12 54kg $31
8 14 QUAFFANY Tony & Calvin McEvoy Luke Currie 6.25L 11 54kg $61
9 9 KING OF LEOGRANCE (FR) Liam Howley Damien Oliver 6.65L 8 54kg $9
10 13 THE GOOD FIGHT (NZ) Shaune Ritchie Cory Parish 6.85L 9 54kg $91
11 7 ETYMOLOGY James Cummings Craig Williams 8.1L 10 54kg $19
12 12 TE AKAU CALIBURN (IRE) Jamie Richards Damian Lane 8.3L 13 54kg $21
13 1 MUNTAHAA (IRE) David & B Hayes & T Dabernig Martin Harley 15.3L 7 58kg $101
5 HARIPOUR (IRE) Chris Waller Jye McNeil 0

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