Venture to Flemington Racecourse for the Melbourne Cup

Source: DSportIn via Twitter

If you’re a lover of sport and dabble in the odd flutter now and again, it’s well worth a trip to see the Melbourne Cup. Flemington Racecourse hosts the meet at the beginning of November and, with a capacity of 120,000, there’s no shortage of seats.

The race itself is a lucrative business, with the prize for first place last season earning the victor $6.2 million AUD. Punters might not reach that level of riches, but it’s certainly an excellent day out to view the world’s best compete on the two-mile course, while indulging in a few beverages.

Almandin won the encounter last time out and he will return to the course to defend his crown. If planning a visit, it might be best to get the lowdown on the horses competing and track their form and odds through The Winners Enclosure and their nap of the day.

This season’s race is a must-ticket to see whether or not Almandin can join elite company in winning back-to-back races at Flemington.

We’ll now break down his chances and look at those who could potentially knock him out of the winners’ circle in Melbourne, providing part-time punters with a guide of who to back when taking the visit to Flemington.

Almandin

The German horse found his rhythm at the right time last season to win the Melbourne Cup. Entering the stretch run towards the meet, he had only won one race previously. Almandin had a two-year gap between his last victory and his return to the track. He triumphed in Baden-Baden before Lloyd Williams changed his trainer to Robert Hickmott.

He returned to action in 2016 after missing the entire 2015 campaign and put in two poor performances in preparation for the Cup, finishing last in the Wendy Johnson Handicap and fifth in the MSC Signs Handicap. However, the German horse returned to form with a fine run in the Harry White Classic, claiming the victory by two lengths. He followed up that display at Flemington before the Cup with another win, building momentum before the meet.

Almandin rose to the occasion for the Melbourne Cup to clinch the crown by the smallest of margins, just having enough pace down the final stretch to beat Heartbreak City by a head. He will have to find the same form to win again, but he has a strong record on the course.

Red Cardinal

Source: ABRLive via Twitter

The Irish horse has been a contender throughout his career, finishing in the top three in all of his nine races. Therefore, he should be considered for a punt no matter what, especially on an each-way bet given his consistency during his two years competing at the top level.

He began his career with back-to-back second-place finishes in races at Wolverhampton before being gelded at the start of the 2016 term. Red Cardinal came out of his break by winning the next three races on the bounce, although he ended his season in England on an underwhelming note with a third-place finish at the Geoffrey Freer Stakes.

Australian Bloodstock took over ownership and changed his trainer to Andreas Wohl in September 2016. His first race under new tenure was a second-place finish in Cologne, but he has found his form in this term by securing victory at Hoppegarten. Red Cardinal then notched the first major win of his career by triumphing in the Belmont Gold Cup, setting him up nicely to challenge Almandin.

Francis of Assisi

The experience of Francis of Assisi will stand him in good stead at Flemington, winning on his last appearance at the venue. He had a very promising start to his career, winning three out of his opening five races before being gelded.

Francis of Assisi then delved into jump racing under the charge of John Ferguson, where he had initial success by winning his opening three races. However, he could not rise to the occasion at Cheltenham or the Grand National. His failure at the two prominent events prompted a reverting back to the flat.

Charlie Appleby was charged with bringing out the best in the Irish horse, although the success has been mixed. He returned with an underwhelming fourth-place finish at York, while he was worse at Goodwood placing in sixth. However, he reeled off back-to-back wins to end the 2016 season, beginning at Bendigo. Francis of Assisi put arguably the best performance of his career at Flemington to win the Queen Elizabeth Stakes by a comfortable margin.

His first race of 2017 ended in disappointment at the Rose Of Lancaster Stakes, highlighting the hot and cold nature of his displays.