Lightweight chance Amelie’s Star has remained steady in the betting at around the $20 mark for the Group 1 $6.25m Emirates Melbourne Cup (3200m) at Flemington today.
Amelie’s Star, above, is one of 3 runners for trainer Darren Weir in the Melbourne Cup at Flemington. Photo by Ultimate Racing Photos.
Amelie’s Star is one of three runners Victoria’s leading trainer Darren Weir will saddle up in the Melbourne Cup and will be joined by $12 chance Humidor and Big Duke who is marked at $21.
Weir will be chasing his second Melbourne Cup after claiming the winning trophy two years ago with Prince Of Penzance and Amelie’s Star jockey Dean Yendall is relying on Weir’s expertise to help his mare figure in the finish of ‘The Race That Stops A Nation’.
“Weiry’s training really well at the moment and all his horses are flying,” Yendall said.
“She was good over the 2500 (metres) at Flemington in the Bart Cummings.”
“I don’t think the two miles is going to be an issue and hopefully she’s strong enough towards the end.”
Amelie’s Star put herself into Melbourne Cup calculations with a two lengths victory in the Group 3 $300,000 The Bart Cummings (2500m) at Flemington on October 7 and then was ridden too close to the lead when eleventh to Boom Time in the Group 1 $3.15m BMW Caulfield Cup (2400m) at Caulfield on October 21.
Light weight jockey Dean Yendall takes over the reins from Craig Williams on Amelie’s Star who will jump from barrier ten in the Melbourne Cup field that has been reduced to twenty-three runners following the early scratching of the Chris Waller trained Who Shot Thebarman because of an elevated temperature.
Humidor is the best fancied of the three Weir runners at $11 and will jump from barrier thirteen with Blake Shinn in the saddle again after the pair combined for a second to Winx in the Group 1 $3m Ladbrokes Cox Plate (2040m) at The Valley on October 28.
The third of the Weir runner’s, Big Duke, has established himself as a seasoned stayer and was beaten less than a length when third behind Polarisation and Who Shot Thebarman in the Group 1 $2m Schweppes Sydney Cup (3200m) at Randwick during the 2017 Sydney Autumn Carnival.
Big Duke found the winner’s stall two starts back in the $500,000 Heineken 3 St Leger Stakes (2600m) at Randwick on October 14 followed by a fourth to Who Shot Thebarman in the Group 2 $300,000 McCafe Moonee Valley Gold Cup (2500m) at The Valley on October 28.
Brenton Avdulla rides Big Duke from barrier five.
The Hughie Morrison trained English stayer Marmelo sits at the top of the Melbourne Cup market order at $7.50 with Ladbrokes.com.au ahead of last year’s winner Almandin at $9 and Humidor and Johannes Vermeer at $11.
