2022 Melbourne Cup: 'He's got a great chance' - trainers on their big-race hopes

Tuesday: 4.00am Flemington
Lexus Melbourne Cup (Group 1 Handicap) | 2m | 3yo+ | Sky

British-trained runners head the market for Tuesday's Lexus Melbourne Cup and a draw in stall nine was cause for celebration for connections of long-time ante-post favourite Deauville Legend.

Trained by James Ferguson, the three-year-old has improved throughout 2022 and capped his British campaign with a dominant Great Voltigeur win at York in August.

He was a general 5-2 chance for the Australian showpiece on Sunday and Ferguson said: "I do feel that with the weight he has been given he’s got a very good chance, because he’s coming here with a lot of form.

"But it’s an extremely competitive race. You’ve got the horse that came second in the Derby, Hoo Ya Mal, you’ve got Gold Trip, who ran so well in the Caulfield Cup.

"Obviously we’re full of hope but it’s a horse race at the end of the day and everything has to go right."

Deauville Legend quickens away to win the Great Voltigeur at YorkCredit: John Grossick

Deauville Legend is being ridden by Kerrin McEvoy, who has won three Melbourne Cups and Ferguson added to news.com.au: "Kerrin McEvoy is full of experience, we know him well and he knows the horse well. He’d also be one of the top jockeys in the world.

"Having won the race three times, with the vast experience of Flemington itself, he knows the track unbelievably well. Going into a Melbourne Cup, in my opinion, there is no one better to have on your horse than Kerrin."

Ferguson has already enjoyed success travelling horses, with El Bodegon's Criterium de Saint-Cloud victory in October 2021 providing him with his maiden Group 1.

Without A Fight giving Crisfords Cup fever

Without A Fight "hasn't missed a beat" since arriving in Australia and his joint-trainer Ed Crisford is hoping he can get the job done at Flemington on Tuesday.

The five-year-old has enjoyed a strong campaign in Britain, winning Listed and Group 3 races, and on Sunday was around 9-1 and vying for second-favouritism with British and Irish bookmakers.

Preparation has gone without a hitch for the experienced campaigner and Crisford is caught up in Cup fever.

"I couldn't be happier with the horse," he said on Sunday. "He's travelled over super well and he's settled in really nicely, he hasn't missed a beat.

"It's the Melbourne Cup, you have to be measured in these situations, but the excitement is building and it's Cup fever down here. To be a part of such a great race is unbelievable and to have a live chance is amazing."

Without A Fight has been drawn wide in stall 18 for the Group 1 handicap that comes with a first prize of around £2.37 million, but Crisford said: "I don't mind the draw. At first I was a bit disappointed but, after reading up on it, there have been many wide-drawn horses who have won the Cup."

The going will be much softer than usual at Flemington after plenty of rain, and Crisford continued: "I don't think he'll mind the ground, it may not be his preference as that would be a slightly sounder surface, but he'll certainly deal with it and I'm sure he'll stay.

"William Buick is obviously in top form and the champion jockey back home. He's riding out of his skin and had a bit of a run around at Flemington yesterday [Saturday], so he's got his eye in on the track."

Ed and Simon Crisford: hopeful of big-race success down underCredit: Alan Crowhurst (Getty Images)

The Newmarket-based stable is enjoying a good year, and Crisford added: "It would be a dream come true [to win the race]. It's something as a kid I dreamt of, but it's not just for me, it's for the owners and everyone at the yard. Everyone works so hard to get a horse to a race like this.

"It's just a real buzz, it's fantastic to be a part of a race like this and hopefully we can get the job done."

What they say

Gai Waterhouse, joint-trainer of Knights Order and Hoo Ya Mal
Hoo Ya Mal has been very relaxed every day he's been here. We've taken the ear muffs off and the crossover nose band and he's really a very happy horse. I'd say that he's still growing and maturing but he'll run nicely. Knights Order is a go-forward horse and that's his ace card and his strength.

David Payne, trainer of Montefilia
She’s going in well and I’m very pleased with her preparation, I just hope she has some luck. She was a little bit unlucky the other day, but that’s racing.

JD Hayes, joint-trainer of Camorra
He’d been trained at [previous trainer] Ger Lyons' the whole time, and this is the first time he has travelled away, so I’m hoping it stimulates him. I’m happy that there is a bit of give, a soft track I would prefer, but heavy dampens my confidence.

Sam Clipperton, rider of Stockman
He looks like he is going to get a soft track, which he loves, and I’m sure he will run out the two miles. I can’t wait to see him again on Tuesday.

Mike Moroney, trainer of Emissary
We do think a lot of the horse and by this time next year he might be lumping around 56 or 57kg in a Melbourne Cup, so we might as well have a go when we’ve got 51.5kg, which is a dangerous sort of weight for a horse with his class.

Ozzie Kheir, managing owner of Interpretation
I think we haven’t seen the real Interpretation. The stable have always said to me, he’s a two-mile horse, he’s an absolute stayer, and he just needs to be ridden on the pace. The rides and the pace haven’t really gone his way, so we’re hoping in the Melbourne Cup we can redeem ourselves, and it might be his first win in Australia.

Read more . . .

The locals pan our jockeys but seem confident one of our horses will win the Cup (Members' Club)

Pair of ex-pats looking to get one over local trainers in Flemington showpiece

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