Sunday, October 25, 2009

Efficient - Viewed - Alcopop -Speed Gifted - Ready to Lift - Red Ruler - Young Centaur - Roman Emperor - Allez Wonder - Think Money - Dandaad

Bloodstock.com.au
25th October

Melbourne Cup winner Efficient and Viewed are the market leaders for this year's race along with up and coming stayer Alcopop ahead of third declarations on Monday.

The three are all at $6.50 with TAB Sportsbet.

Efficient, who won the Cup in 2007, and Alcopop are not expected to race again before the race on November 3 while last year's winner Viewed will run in Saturday's Mackinnon Stakes.

Speed Gifted has continued to drift and is now at $15 after beating just one runner home in the Cox Plate.

The Lee Freedman-trained European import, who qualified via his dominant win in the Metropolitan Handicap at Randwick earlier this month, is now a doubtful starter.

The last chance to confirm a spot in 24 horse field comes in Saturday's Lexus (2500m) with the winner exempt from ballot.

The campaigns of Ready to Lift and Red Ruler, both of whom were high up in the order of entry, have ended.

Trainer Gerald Ryan decided to pull the pin after Ready To Lift's failure in Saturday's Moonee Valley Cup while Red Ruler has returned to New Zealand along with his John Sargent-trained stablemate Young Centaur.

"She's going straight to the paddock," Ryan said.

"She's had five starts in Melbourne and never looked like winning a race there.

"Whether she's simply not good enough for that grade or can't handle that way of going I don't know."

Red Ruler put in pleasing runs for close fifths in the Underwood Stakes and Turnbull Stakes before finishing last of 18 in the Caulfield Cup won by Viewed.

Young Centaur's hopes of gaining a penalty to move up the order were dashed when he finished 11th in last week's Geelong Cup.

Bart Cummings is assured of three Cup runners - Viewed, Roman Emperor ($11) and Allez Wonder ($26) with Think Money and Dandaad remote chances of making the field.

If she doesn't get into the Cup, Think Money will run in the Lavazza Long Black on the same day, a race won by Geelong Cup runner-up Dandaad last year.

The Melbourne Cup carnival will be officially launched in Melbourne on Monday.

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