Money Continues For Happy Trails In Australian Cup Betting

Happy Trails has been backed into 2015 Australian Cup odds of $4.20 and the money continues to flow for the popular gelding heading into the Group 1 event at Flemington this afternoon.

Paul Beshara is confident that Happy Trails can win the 2015 Australian Cup at Flemington this afternoon. Photo by: Sarah Ebbett

Paul Beshara is confident that Happy Trails can win the 2015 Australian Cup at Flemington this afternoon. Photo by: Sarah Ebbett

Happy Trails and 2014 Melbourne Cup winner Protectionist opened as equal favourites when the Australian Cup field was released earlier in the week, but there has been consistent support for Happy Trails and he was backed into as little as $4 earlier this morning.

Let’s Elope, Better Loosen Up, Dulcify and Leilani are the only horses in history that have won the Turnbull Stakes, Mackinnon Stakes and Australian Cup and trainer Paul Beshara is confident that Happy Trails can join that list of equine superstars by winning the Australian Cup this weekend.

“It would be an honour, an absolute honour,” Beshara told Fairfax.

“He just loves Flemington as it’s a big spacious track with a nice long straight.”

“He’s in good condition.

“Normally we’ve had about three runs by this time, but this will be his third run so his condition should be fine.

“Any group 1 is a good race and the horses there are all deserving of their status and he has to be right on the top of his game and on his toes to beat them.

“Every horse in that field deserves to be there and they’re all trying to win.”

The next best-backed runner in 2015 Australian Cup betting markets has been Chris Waller-trained Foreteller, who is into $8.50 after being available at $10 earlier in the week.

Foreteller returned to racing with credible performances in both the Group 2 Apollo Stakes (1400m) at Royal Randwick on February 14 and Group 1 Chipping Norton Stakes (1600m) at Warwick Farm on February 28 and form expert Daniel O’Sullivan believes that the Dansili gelding is ready to peak third-up in the Australian Cup.

“He comes down from Sydney and his run last start behind Contributer in the Chipping Norton was a good solid run,” O’Sullivan told RSN yesterday.

“He is going to stack up a pretty strong form reference and, like Happy Trails, Foreteller has a pretty clear form record in that he goes ahead third-up.

“He has met Happy Trails a through times in the past and narrowly beaten him and had a couple of other defeats.

“They are very similar in that respects.”

There has also been a sprinkling of support for Mourinho ($11 into $10) and Entirely Platinum ($31 into $26) in Australian Cup betting markets, while Extra Zero ($61 out to $71), The Cleaner ($14 out to $17), Puccini ($26 out to $34), Lidari ($51 out to $71), Sonntag ($101 out to $126) and Greatwood ($19 out to $31) have all been on the drift.

About The Author

Thomas Hackett

Thomas is a passionate and opinionated racing journalist and punter who has been obsessed with horse racing since he backed Saintly to win the 1996 Melbourne Cup. An international racing enthusiast, he has his finger on the pulse of racing news not just from Australia but all around the world.