RACE RESULT
Cross Counter has won the 2018 Melbourne Cup ahead of Marmelo and A Prince Of Arran.
It was a phenomenal ride from Kerrin McEvoy, taking out his third Melbourne Cup with a faultless 3200-metre performance. He gave Cross Counter a fantastic push at the end to reel in and surpass surprise packet Marmelo, who finished second, at the post.
The Melbourne Cup was well paced for the most part with a couple of the pre-race favourites getting caught at the back and there was very little chance for them to reel it back in and find any sort of galloping room.
Unfortunately, The Cliffsofmoher pulled up early in the race with a broken shoulder and, according to Racing.com’s Shane Anderson, could not be saved.
Melbourne Cup 2018 result
1. Cross Counter
2. Marmelo
3. Prince Of Arran
4. Finche
» WATCH MELBOURNE CUP HIGHLIGHTS: Kerrin McEvoy rides Cross Counter to victory
The Melbourne Cup has arrived with a bumper 24-horse field in what has become one of, if not the, largest event on the Australian sporting calendar. Catch all the live race updates and highlights on The Roar from 3pm (AEDT).
While the Melbourne Cup has been surpassed in recent years a few times as one of the richest races on the planet, the historic 3200-metre dash is still recognised as one of the most valuable gems in the world of thoroughbred racing.
Nothing is more indicative of the international prestige ‘The Race That Stops The Nation’ holds than the number of overseas runners in the race; international horses make up nearly half the field, not including our adopted New Zealand runners.
Chief among those overseas contenders is the pre-race favourite, the Aidan O’Brien-trained Yucatan.
Despite copping a barrier draw out wide at gate 23, the Irish horse has remained in favour with the bookies, coming off an impressive winning run at Caulfield in the Herbert Power Stakes in his first run on Australian soil.
Most impressively, the win came from a similarly bleak wide barrier draw to the one he’ll be jumping from at Flemington today. That win came at 2400 metres, his max distance across a 13-race career that has yielded three wins, none of which have come at Group 1 level.
Best Solution will be hoping to buck the trend of Caulfield Cup winners struggling on the first Tuesday of November and become the first horse since Ethereal in 2001 to complete the famed Cup double.
Add a barrier six draw and two back-to-back Group 1 wins back in Europe before Caulfield and you have a real shot at sneaking past the eye of the heavy favourites for a Melbourne Cup win.
If you want to see owner Marwan Koukash strip down and “find a new wife”, then Magic Circle is one to follow. Despite a wider barrier draw than trainer Ian Williams would have been hoping, the gelding is coming off back-to-backs wins and looks tantalising as one of the few long-range specialists in the field.
The seven-year-old cruised home by six lengths in the 3800-metre Chester Cup, making his last three wins, and four of eight overall, coming from distances longer than the Melbourne Cup run that will await him today. He’s firmed towards outright favouritism with all the rain Flemington has copped this morning.
Muntahaa is another coming in hot off a last-start win, setting the fastest race winning time in 20 years for the Ebor Handicap to take it by over three lengths. The gelding is expected to settle at the back and with a few speed bumps in the past with sluggish finishes, he has the potential to get caught at the back with too much to do late.
However, some galloping room on the last turn could spell trouble for his rivals in the last 200 metres.
One of the more interesting cases of the 2017 Cup was French horse Marmelo, who had his hat very firmly in the ring as one of the top international contenders, only to fall apart on race day and end a disappointing ninth.
One year later, the big six-year-old carries similar form, but trainer Hughie Morrison left him out of Caulfield this year in fear of another lead-up race leaving his star horse unable to recover in time. There’s no reason why Marmelo can’t push for the win that many were anticipating last year.
The other two key runners to keep an eye or are Cross Counter and the legacy-riddled Avilius.
A last-start fourth in the Cox Plate for the latter was basically a place finish if you take out the unbeatable Winx from that equation. Before that came four wins on the trot in a stunning bit of early Spring form.
The issue for Avilius could be the distance, with very few previous runs coming close to the two-mile mark.
Cross Counter brings four wins and just one non-place finish to the table and will have the veteran experience of Kerrin Mcevoy in the saddle.
If you have a few spares coins in the back pocket and want to throw caution to the wind, the Iain Jardine-trained Nakeeta is currently sitting at three figures in most bookie markets as the furthest chance to take out the race.
Don’t be fooled by lack of any place finishes in the last 12 months though, with the European gelding having come home fifth in last year’s Melbourne Cup.
Prediction
It’s a hard one to call, but my picks see Best Solution become just the 12th runner in history to complete the Cup double, closely followed by Magic Circle, a surprise run by the Cummins-trained Avilius and pre-race favourite Yucatan rounding out the top four.
1. Best Solution
2. Magic Circle
3. Avilius
4. Yucatan
Race: Melbourne Cup
Time: 3pm (AEDT)
Distance: 3,200 metres
Track: Flemington Racecourse, Melbourne
Surface: Turf
Weight: Handicap
Age: 3 and older
Class: Group 1
Purse: $7.3 million (AUS)
Connor Bennett
Editor
Cross Counter took it by a length in the end, with Marmelo a further two lengths ahead of A Prince Of Arran and Finche in third and fourth respectively.
Connor Bennett
Editor
Wow, what a race that was. An enthralling final 400 metres with surprises coming from everywhere. A phenomenal ride from Kerrin McEvoy taking out his third Melbourne Cup and you can barely find a fault over 3,200 metres in that run. A fantastic push at the end timed to perfection to reel and surpass the surprise packet that was Marmelo at the end. The race was well paced for the most part with a couple of the pre-race favourites getting caught at the back and there was avery little chance for them to reel it back in and find any sort of galloping room, namely the James Cummins-trained Avilius as well as Yucatan who was already battling a wide barrier draw and the less-than-ideal track conditions.
Connor Bennett
Editor
2018 MELBOURNE CUP LIVE The field are in, Avilius one of the last, the barriers drop... AND WE ARE UNDERWAY AT FLEMINGTON!!! Strong start on the inside rail, there was a slow starter at the back, a few out wide strugling to make their way into a nice position in the middle. Magic Circle, Avilius, Yucatan, Cross Counter and Caulfield Cup winner Best Solution all jumping well as the favourite-backers look on nervously. Finche and Muntahaa leading early as they pass the post on the first lap with Ace High finding his way towards the front. The Cliffsofmoher HAS HELD UP!! He's flailing around at the back that doesn't look great. Runaway now taking the pace at the front around the back turn with Ace High remaining at the pointing end of the pack as is Finche with one legnth to the back of the pack. Marmelo is in the midfield looking to improve on last years dissapointment with 1,400 metres still to go. Youngstar is sitting a bit at the back but not as bad as Avilius who is dead last at the back as they come around the back straight and into the final turn. Yucatan is still 7 lengths back at this stage and in trouble. Ventura Storm making a dash here but Marmelo is coming up out of nowhere AS IS CROSS COUNTER!! Marmelo has the perfect jump here up on the inside but here comes Cross Counter!! HE HAS THE PACE HERE WITH 150 metres to go!! MARMELO FIGHTING TO HOLD ON, A PRINCE OF ARRAN TRYING TO KEEP UP BUT SIMPLY CAN'T!! CROSS COUNTER IS MOVING IN FRONT BY A NOSE, BY A HEAD, BY HALF A LENGTH HERE IT IS!! CROSS COUNTER WINS THE 2018 MELBOURNE CUP AHEAD OF MARMELO AND A PRINCE OF ARRAN! A sensationally timed run from Kerrin McEvoy who has another Melbourne Cup under his belt, three now for him. A valiant effort from Marmelo who came from nowhere with 400 to go but it was a blitz on the outside from Cross Counter that pips him at the post for a memorable win. It looked tight for fourth but Finche could have been the runner there in a surprising outing from the horse who was at the front of the pack for quite some time and managed to hold on late for a strong end to the race.
Connor Bennett
Editor
Barely 60 seconds to go! The field are filing in and there's only a few to go...
Connor Bennett
Editor
The runners are taking their time behind the barriers, just trotting around, keeping busy with very few actually making their way into their gate just yet. Don't want to have to spend too much time bottled up in there
Connor Bennett
Editor
The tension is building! The track is draining, the runners are out onto the track and leading into the barriers... IT'S MELBOURNE CUP DAY!!
Connor Bennett
Editor
Cross Counter has veteran jockey Kerrin McEvoy in the saddle and has some very tasty form behind the four-year-old from overseas as he looks for a winning debut on Australian soil. There's hardly a better jockey you could have to pull it off as he eases up into third favourite as the race closes in
Connor Bennett
Editor
Thankfully for the Flemington faithful the sun is out and the rain looks to be completely out of the picture for the rest of the day. Still a lot of lying water on the track though. Jockeys from earlier races have spoken about the challenge of standing water and the huge puddles along the home stretch.
Connor Bennett
Editor
A touch under 9 minutes until the jump, it's a tight field, any number of outstanding runners could take this one!!
Connor Bennett
Editor
Magic Circle owner Marwan Koukash has promised to strip down and “find a new wife” if his 7-year-old gelding gets past the post first. Make of that what you will but the chance of it becoming reality is growing with the wet track seemingly favouring the European gelding.
Daniel Jeffrey
Editor
Let's go *checks office sweep tickets* The Cliffsofmoher and Youngstar! Enjoy the call, Connor.
Connor Bennett
Editor
Who Shot Thebarman has almost been a mainstay of the Cup in recent years despite his scratching last year, he's still had multiple starts under the belt and at 10 years of age, would most certainly be one of the more unlikely winners in recent history
Connor Bennett
Editor
Muntahaa has brought some interest into the race in what will be his first Australian start, however, like so many others in the field the rain has been an unwelcome race day dilemma to try and work around
Connor Bennett
Editor
Best Solution comes in chasing the coveted Cup Double looking to become the first horse since Ethereal in 2001 to win both the Caulfield and Melbourne Cups back-to-back
Scott Pryde
Expert
Looks like it won't be an as wet track as we were thinking. Muntahaa going to struggle from 23 for mine. I reckon Avilius gets the job done.
Connor Bennett
Editor
We're still around 20 minutes from the barriers dropping as the field begin to make their way around the parade ring
Connor Bennett
Editor
Nearly half the field is made up of international runners, an outstanding representation of the Melbourne Cups status in global racing as one of the most highly sought after Group 1 trophies in the world
Connor Bennett
Editor
Despite the lack of experience at a longer distance, the James Cummins gelding Avilius is coming off four wins from his last five starts and has the Cummins name behind him, one synonymous with Melbourne Cup success
Connor Bennett
Editor
The track is sitting at a Soft 6 after a few fluctuations throughout the morning
Connor Bennett
Editor
Having led the way in the bookies market as pre-racew favourite for quite some time, Yucatan's odds have been pushed out thanks to the wide barrier draw at 23 as well as the dramatic rainfall this morning. Magic Circle has emerged as a big favourite rising up the ranks late in the game in the hours leading into the race