Melbourne Cup 2016 Betting Update: Hartnell Favourite

October 31, 2016

Melbourne Cup 2016 Betting Update: Hartnell Favourite

The John O’Shea-trained Hartnell remains the firm favourite in 2016 Melbourne Cup betting for this Tuesday’s edition of the ‘race that stops a nation’.

Hartnell

Hartnell is favourite in 2016 Melbourne Cup betting on Tuesday at Flemington Racecourse. Photo: Ultimate Racing Photos.

A capacity field of 24 Melbourne Cup horses are engaged for the $6 million two-mile classic, set to run as Flemington Race 7 at 3:00pm (AEDT) with the $5 top fancy at Ladbrokes.com.au to jump from barrier 12.

Owned and raced by the powerhouse Godolphin stable, the imported six-year-old son of Authorized won the Group 1 Turnbull Stakes (2000m) two back defeated Jameka by over three lengths.

She subsequently went on to win the $3 million Group 1 Caulfield Cup (2400m), while Hartnell backed-up with the distant second to Winx in the $3 million Group 1 W.S. Cox Plate (2040m) on October 22.

Hartnell looks set to peak in the Melbourne Cup on Tuesday and drops from 59kg at weight-for-age to a manageable 56kg in the world’s richest handicap, an exact weight last carried to victory by the Japanese raider Delta Blues (2006) a decade ago.

James McDonald continues his association with the favourite who is looking to salute for the Melbourne Cup favourite backers for the first time since Fiorente (2013).

Hartnell is out to become the first Melbourne Cup favourite to salute since Fiorente in 2013

Fiorente was also the last Melbourne Cup winner to come off a Cox Plate run having also run third in the classic leading up to his success.

The only hoodoo around Hartnell taking out the ‘Loving Trophy’ is drawing barrier 12, which hasn’t produced a Cup winner in over 30 years.

While Fiorente was the last favourite to salute, Protectionist ($7) also won at single-figures and there are just three other horses in the Melbourne Cup field along with Hartnell currently under $10 for the win.

Occupying the second line of Melbourne Cup betting at an easing $8 is Oceanographer who got as short as $6.50 since the official line-up was released on Saturday afternoon.

The Charlie Appleby-trained English raider only made the Melbourne Cup field at the eleventh hour winning his way into the race with a win in Saturday’s Lexus Stakes.

Oceanographer is out to join the likes of German Protectionist (2014), and the French-trained duo of Dunaden (2011) and Americain (2010) as the most recent international Melbourne Cup winners.

The last horse to complete the Lexus Stakes – Melbourne Cup double was Shocking (2009).

Oceanographer shoots for the Lexus Stakes – Melbourne Cup double last achieved by Shocking in 2009

In the Lexus Oceanographer saluted under 54kg and gets into the Cup field on just 52kg even with his one kilo penalty.

Third favourite at $8.50 also drifting is the Caulfield Cup winning mare Jameka (out from $7.50) who is looking to complete the Spring Cups double for the first time since Ethereal (2001).

Since Ethereal however the only mare to win the race was Makybe Diva (2003-05) who dominated the Melbourne Cup results for three years on the trot.

Nicholas Hall stays on Ciaron Maher’s Myboycharlie four-year-old Jameka who rises from 52.5kg in the Caulfield Cup to 54.5kg in Melbourne Cup weights.

The last of the single-figure fancies is Bondi Beach ($9.50) drawn barrier five, a gate that has produced two of the past four Melbourne Cup winners.

Both Green Moon (2012) and Fiorente (2013) jumped from gate five and Bondi Beach is an Irish raider prepared by Aidan O’Brien who ran 16th in the race 12 months ago.

The Galileo stallion was only very lightly-raced last spring and has matured nicely since.

The best of the double-figure Melbourne Cup fancies include last year’s fifth-placed raider Big Orange ($15) and Ireland’s Ebor Handicap winner Heartbreak City ($15) drawn the second outside alley.

Check out the latest Melbourne Cup 2016 betting odds below open now at Ladbrokes.com.au – home of Odds Boost where you can back Hartnell at a boosted price of $5 to $6!

2016 Melbourne Cup Odds Update

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