Irish import Raymond Tusk is on the drift in Melbourne Cup betting as the five-year-old has moved from $13.00 all the way out to $21.00 in the latest markets at Ladbrokes.com.au.

The son of High Chaparral will make his Australian debut today at Flemington after entering Cup calculations when fourth in the Ebor Handicap (2787m) at York back in August.

Flemington has been rated a Soft 6 ahead of the 3:00 pm start, but that hasn’t dampened the connections’ hopes ahead of the $8 million race.

“That is fine for the horse. It likes a bit of sting out of the ground,” Tom Palin, manager of the English syndicate told The Australian.

The soft track should suit several international raiders as they are used to taking some of the sting out of the ground. For Raymond Tusk, who currently occupies the third line of betting, the Melbourne weather could turn out to be a winning advantage.

Jamie Spencer (above) wins the Mackinnon Stakes aboard Side Glance. Photo Credit: Race Horse Photos Australia.

“This is warm for us. We have just come from three degrees and 50mm of rain. We are very happy in this,” Palin went on to say.

Raymond Tusk will be ridden by champion British jockey Jamie Spencer. The 39-year-old has won 13 Group 1 races and over $23 million in prize money, including a win aboard Raymond Tusk in the Group 2 Gran Premio Stakes (2400m) in Italy this time last year.

Spencer has won races in Ireland, England, France, the UAE, Australia, Germany and Canada. He is most well known for his patient riding style and brilliant timing, which we saw aboard Side Glance in the Mackinnon Stakes back in 2013.

Like so many others, the one race that has always eluded Spencer though is the Melbourne Cup. His best result came aboard Big Orange in 2016 who finished fifth behind Prince Of Penzance.

Spencer and Raymond Tusk drew a handy gate three for the Cup. Full odds on the Melbourne Cup 2019 can be viewed here thanks to Ladbrokes.com.au.