The 2016 Melbourne Cup betting market has been updated following the barrier draw and Hartnell remains favourite for the Group 1 event that will be held at Flemington on Tuesday.
Hartnell is currently on top of 2016 Melbourne Cup betting markets. Photo by: Ultimate Racing Photos
Hartnell was allocated barrier 12 in the Melbourne Cup barrier draw and that will give jockey James McDonald plenty of options in the early stages of the race.
The Teofilo gelding has been Melbourne Cup favourite since his dominant victory in the Group 1 Turnbull Stakes (2000m) at Flemington on October 2 and he is now priced at $5 to give Godolphin their maiden victory in ‘the race that stops a nation’.
The clear market mover in the 2016 Melbourne Cup betting market has been Oceanographer, who stormed into calculations with his fast-finishing victory in the Group 3 Lexus Stakes (2500m) at Flemington this afternoon.
Oceanographer was crunched into Melbourne Cup odds of $8 following his Lexus Stakes victory and he and he has now been backed into $6.50 after he was allocated barrier 11.
The only other horse that is currently available at single-figure Melbourne Cup odds is Caulfield Cup winner Jameka, who has remained steady at a quote of $8 after drawing barrier three.
Jameka put a gap on her rivals in the Group 1 Caulfield Cup (2400m) and trainer Ciaron Maher is confident that she can become the first horse since Ethereal in 2001 to complete the Caulfield Cup/Melbourne Cup double.
One of the big winners of the 2016 Melbourne Cup barrier draw was Aidan O’Brien-trained Bondi Beach, who will jump from barrier five with Melbourne Cup winning hoop Ryan Moore in the saddle.
Bondi Beach finished a disappointed 16th in the Melbourne Cup, but co-owner Lloyd Williams is confident that the Galileo entire is a much better horse than he was 12 months ago.
Another Williams-owned horse that has firmed after the barrier draw is Assign, who has been backed from $91 into $71.
Assign heads into the Melbourne Cup on the back of a victory in the Group 2 Herbert Power Stakes (2400m) and jockey Katelyn Mallyon believes that the son of Montjeu is more than capable of winning the $6 million event.
The Melbourne Cup odds of Our Ivanhowe ($41 out to $34), Exospheric ($26 into $21), Gallante ($71 into $67), Grand Marshal ($41 into $34) and Secret Number ($41 into $34) have all shortened since the barrier draw, while Who Shot Thebarman ($31 out to $34), Heartbreak City ($10 out to $12), Excess Knowledge ($61 out to $67), Grey Lion ($31 out to $34), Qewy ($26 out to $31) and Rose Of Virginia ($101 to $201) have been on the drift.
