MELBOURNE: American-bred, French-trained galloper Americain will carry favoritism into today’s $6.2 million Melbourne Cup as it attempts to win Australia’s richest and most prestigious horse race for the second time.
The eight-year-old stallion, trained by Alain de Royer Dupre and ridden by popular Australian jockey Damien Oliver, was quoted by bookmakers on Monday at around 6-1, narrowly ahead of the defending champion Dunaden.
Americain won the 150th edition of the two-mile turf handicap in 2010 and finished fourth behind Dunaden last year after starting favorite and carrying top weight of 58 kilograms (128 pounds).
Dunaden, trained at Chantilly by Mark Delzangles and ridden by Australian Craig Williams, carries this year’s top weight of 59 kilograms (130 pounds), in a 24-horse field.
Williams was due to ride the horse in last year’s Cup before incurring a suspension and conceding the winning mount to Frenchman Christophe Lemaire.
Dunaden, which was bought as a weanling for only 1,500 Euros ($2,300), will take its stake earnings past $10 million if it can win the race for a second time.
To do so Dunaden, which won the Caulfield Cup in its latest preparation, will have to overcome a barrier draw of 16. Owner Sheikh Al Thani said he was less concerned by the draw than the fact trainer Delzangles arrived in Australia after winning the juvenile Breeders Cup at Santa Anita in the United States.
“I hope my trainer hasn’t used up all my luck in America,” he said. “The barrier is okay, 59 kilograms is a worry. We’re hoping he can do it again.”
Oliver won the ride on Americain when the horse’s owners, Australian businessmen Gerry Ryan and Kevin Bamford, sacked French rider Gerald Mosse after the horse finished fourth behind Dunaden in the Caulfield Cup.
The Australian rider will also be chasing his third Melbourne Cup victory, 10 years after winning his second in 2002 on Media Puzzle, only days after his brother died in a fall from a horse.
“He’s an amazing horse,” Oliver said of Americain. “He’s in great condition. He’s in great form. It’s a great opportunity.”
Americain also has in its favor the fact that 34 of the 151 previous winners of the race have been favorites.
Overseas-trained horses dominate the field and the betting market for the 152nd running of the Melbourne Cup. Only six of the 24 runners in this year’s race are trained in the southern hemisphere.
Six-year-old gelding Mount Athos, trained by Luca Cumani, was on the third line of favoritism on Monday, just ahead of Red Cadeaux, which was beaten by a nose by Dunaden last year in the closest finish in Cup history.