Picking a Winner for The Melbourne Cup – 2009
As a TAB Clerk, I would like to offer my advice for picking a winner of the 2009 Melbourne Cup.
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The Melbourne Cup is literally the race that stops a nation. Just about everybody in Australia will be either watching or listening to the race at 3pm AEDST (12pm WAST) on Tuesday the 3rd of November. It is the biggest sporting event in Australia and everybody has a punt (bet) on the cup – it’s the Aussie thing to do!
Trying to pick a winner for the Melbourne Cup is never easy. With a final field of twenty-four (24), there are just so many good horses to choose from. Which way do you go – stick with an Australian horse or go with an International?
So, how do people go about picking a winner for the Melbourne Cup if you are only a ‘once-a-year’ punter? Here are a few ideas from previous years’…….
The Jockey
For an inexperienced punter, choosing a jockey is the easiest way of selecting a horse. Glen Boss (Changingoftheguard – IRE) is a popular jockey having won the Melbourne Cup three times in a row with Makybe Diva. Damien Oliver (Warringah – GB) will be popular as he is a Western Australian born jockey who has won many a race at Flemington. Other popular jockeys are Corey Brown (Shocking), Craig Williams (Leica Ding) and Kerrin McEvoy (Crime Scene – IRE) will also be popular having won a number of Group 1 races.
The Number
This is probably the most popular way for inexperienced punters to choose a horse, simply by picking a number between one (1) and twenty-four (24). Numbers six (6), seven (7) and thirteen (13) are pretty popular. Another way with numbers is by choosing the barrier draw and taking that horse instead. For instance, barrier 13 has a horse called Allez Wonder, which is horse selection number 22.
The Weight
With 7.5kgs (16.5 pounds) difference between number one (1) Viewed and number twenty-four (24) Lieca Ding, taking into account the amount of weight your horse is carrying is a must. However, when looking at the amount of weight your horse is carrying, it is also best to look at the past form – that is, what the horse has previously done race-wise leading up to the Melbourne Cup. Sounds confusing? It can be but if you have been punting for a while, then this will make sense.
The Horse
Yes, there are people out there who actually decide on the horse themselves =) Selecting a name is normally the best option while some people go for the colour of the horse – grey seems to be a popular choice. With names such as Lieca Ding (pronounced Lika Ding), Alcopop, Shocking, Daffodil and Changingoftheguard, this can be a difficult option to go with.
The Trainer
This year maybe a little different than previous years in that a prominent Australian trainer has been making headlines after nabbing his 250th Group 1 win a little while ago and haivng won a massive 12 Melbourne Cups in the past! Bart Cumming’s acceptances for the Melbourne Cup this year are: Viewed (1), Roman Emporer – NZ (6) and Allez Wonder (22).
Mystery Bets
When all else fails, the TAB offer a range of mystery bets for the Melbourne Cup. With a mystery bet, the computer selects the horse/s for you. The types of mystery bets available are: $1 Trifecta (3 horses, has to be in order), $6 Shut-the-Gat Trifect (3 horses all-ways, finishing in any order), $3 Win (horse has to finish first), and $1 Quartet (4 horses, has to finish in order).
It is never easy picking a winner of a horse race and the Melbourne Cup is no exception. I hope that the above information will help you pick a horse (hopefully the winner!) of the Melbourne Cup. Please remember, though, to only bet with what you can afford to loose and to have a fantastic day, whether you are at the races or at home watching the coverage on channel 7.
Good Luck!
image: GreyhoundsWA
1 Comment
Well, I put a bet on Changingoftheguard on Monday night only to find out on Cup day that he was declared unfit to run. Changed to Shocking, and he won! Yippee!