English stayer My Ambivalent is rated as one of the roughies of the 2014 Melbourne Cup field even after coming in for some solid support at juicy double figure odds.
Lexus Stakes winner Signoff continues to shorten in Melbourne Cup betting. Photo by Sarah Ebbett.
Ladbrokes.com.au has reported a sprinkle of bets for the Roger Varian trained My Ambivalent including one wager of $2000 each way at $41 and another of $200 each way at the same price.
My Ambivalent has good staying form up to 2400m in England and was due to start her Australian campaign in the Group 1 $3m Crown Golden Ale Caulfield Cup (2400m) at Caulfield on October 18.
But a hoof injury forced the stable to scrap a Caulfield Cup start but the Authorized mare has since passed a series of veterinary inspections and is set to head to Flemington on Tuesday for the Group 1 $6m Emirates Melbourne Cup (3200m).
“She had a set-back that kept her out of the Caulfield Cup but she seems well over that now and she looks fit and ready to go on Tuesday,” Varian said.
Even though My Ambivalent is untested over the 3200m of the Melbourne Cup, Varian is confident she will be able to run out the distance.
“I think she will stay the distance. The early part of her race will be important, if she relaxes early I’m sure she will stay,” Varian told Racing Ahead.
“She is one of the toughest mares I have come across, she channels that energy into toughness on the track and if she does that she will be in good shape.”
“It’s a mental attribute. She is built well, she is a good model but she is mentally very hard and very tough. If you get a tough mare they are hard to beat.”
My Ambivalent hasn’t started since running fourth in the Group 1 €200,000 Newbridge Silverware Pretty Polly Stakes (1 mile 2 furlongs) at the Curragh in Ireland on June 29 but was a winner three starts back in the Group 2 £100,000 Betfred 10 Million Scoop6 This Saturday Middleton Stakes (1 mile 2 furlongs) at York, England, on May 15
There has been a steady flow of money for Signoff and after he shortened into $21 last Monday after $51 was bet, his price has continued to tumble and he was $15 before winning the Group 3 $300,000 Lexus Stakes (2500m) at Flemington last Saturday and cementing a place in the final Melbourne Cup field.
And today the money has continued to arrive for the Darren Weir trained gelding with bets of $5,000 at $8 and $2000 at $7.50.
“The money has continued to arrive for Signoff before and after he won the Lexus on Saturday,” said Jason Scott, Head of Bookmaker Operations at Ladbrokes Australia.
Favourite Admire Rakti has continued to ease with the steady of flow of money for some of the other fancied runners in the market and is now marked at $6 even though one bet of $10,000 at $5.50 was recorded on the Japanese star.
Lucia Valentina has also got some staunch followers with one punter putting down $10,000 at $7.50 while Cox Plate runner up Fawkner has firmed into $8 from $9 with a constant flow of money including one bet of $10,000 at $9.50
Latest Melbourne Cup market order: $6 Admire Rakti, $7.50 Lucia Valentina, Signoff, $8 Fawkner, Protectionist, $11 Mutual Regard, $19 Red Cadeaux, $21 Who Shot Thebarman, $26 Cavalryman, Junoob, Willing Foe, Aralado, $41 My Ambivalent, $61 Brambles, $67 Opinion, $71 Seismos, Gatewood, $81 Royal Diamond, Au Revoir, Lidari, $101 Precedence, $201 Mr O’Ceirin, Unchain My Heart.
